Amber Truhanovitch September 28, 2007

Nature writing STW- Group C

“The Bridge of Tranquility”

My tranquility lies within a bridge made of old wood with rails of black iron bars. There are two benches to rest upon that provides comfort to the pathway. This path connects civilization to serenity. As I rest, I feel the breeze flow past me rustling the leaves. I look out to the meaning of life. I can see life starting, ending, and evolving before my eyes. This imperturbation is merely a minute away. The bridge merely connects the road to a walking path. But for me, as I cross over it I see life as it forever should be, in peacefulness.

As I look out I see a life cycle coming to an end. There are colorful evergreens, pines, and maple trees all around with canopies of forest green, maroons, and oranges. Leaves float about the still water with colors of brown and red. Almost all of the flowers have come to their end of life. The few living flowers provide vibrant colors. Butterflies fluttered in and out of the colorful patches. But this is not the only life cycle ending. I am amongst animals scurrying for food and shelter. The muskrats are building their homes preparing for the cold. Geese are walking along the drained lake scrounging for food. There are ducks that are in the middle of their youth playing follow the leader with their mother. They too will be leaving, flying down south for the winter. Looking over the bridge I spot a few turtles weaving in and out of the lily pads. My favorite part is observing the cranes that search for food. Sometimes if I am lucky, one will fly by as if it is floating on air. Here is where you can truly discover nature.

Not only do I see life, but when I close my eyes I can hear it. I hear all different kinds of commotion. Honk, honk, honk, I listen to the sound of the geese communicating. I hear the birds singing from the tree tops all around. Do you hear the crickets chirping from inside of the bushes? Once in a while I hear the sound of the ducks splashing in the water. Here and there I perceive the swooping sound of the birds that fly past me. I even hear the chimes of the wind when it rustles the leaves. In the background of it all I pick up the beat of the fast moving cars and the rage of the horns. As I sit, I listen in relaxation to the sound of life playing all together as one song.

With all of my observations I can understand what an ecosystem really is. Life starts with the consumers which are the plants and the algae. Then come along all of the small animals, for example, worms, fish and mice. These animals are then consumed by the predators like the eagles, cranes and other birds. Within this group are also the muskrats and even beavers. Within all of these groups are individual lives cycles where living things grow and develop. Now it is fall and the cycles are coming to an end. The animals stalk up with food. Squirrels are gathering nuts, and muskrats are building shelters. Not many birds are still up in New England and soon they will be flying down south. Baby ducks are growing and learning to find food so they can live on their own. In the spring, when the flowers and trees open back up and grow, all of the animals will come back and start their life cycles again. Life will reproduce, adapt and grow until it again comes time for life cycles to come to an end, and again, the process will repeat. The wheel of life is what we truly experience.

Life is not always easy, and we all have hard and upsetting days. Every person has different ways to deal with their stress, and mine is traveling a minute or so down the road to Webster Lake. When I am there, I cross the old bridge that connects the road to a walking path, and that bridge is a place where I have serenity. It is the most peaceful place to me. It is more relaxing than my own room, my own bed. It is a place where I can clear my mind. There is fresh air to breathe, and the sounds from all around fill my thoughts. The flawless, serene, and implausible view is what I look forward to seeing because it is breathtaking. Here is where I can truly gaze upon the meaning of life.