Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition:  noun  An act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

Here, where river meets the shore, we find water, Earth, ice, air, light and shadow converging in a single moment.

An ancient Cypress stump, no longer living and growing itself, still harbors the lives of barnacles on its roots, and living green moss on its bark.

Lifeless roots still penetrate the beach, holding sand in place against relentless waves which would wash it further downriver.  This sentinel, which has protected this bit of beach for decades, still stands watch against the erosion of time.

Cypress, which drew its life from this river and this beach, continues to participate in that life, even in death.

It gives shelter to myriad creatures who burrow and hide in its crevices.  Perch for sea birds,  shelter for fishes, it attracts its own community of creatures, generation after generation.

Juxtaposition

Photos by Woodland Gnome, 2014

The workings of heaven are unfathomable—

sometimes encouraging,

sometimes suppressing.

All this makes sport of heroes and tumbles the great.

Enlightened people take adversity in stride

and are prepared for trouble

even when at ease;

therefore, they are not at the mercy of fate.

Huachu Daoren

About woodlandgnome

Lifelong teacher and gardener.

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