As I walk along the shores of the lake, I stare out at the water and enjoy the silence that is broken by the occasional sound of geese. Looking down into the water I observe the multiple layers created by the sunlight. At times the light reveals the terrain below the surface, the rocks and sediment. Other times, the sunlight does not penetrate the surface and the sky reflects off the water's surface, making textures and patterns on the water.
American Water Willow, known as
Justicia Americana, grows all along the shoreline. It occupies the multiple layers created by the sunlight and water. It lives submerged and creates a habitat for invertebrates. It lives on the surface, again providing a food source for wildlife along the shore.
But for me the water willows dwell in a third layer, one of imagination.
The plants create characters dancing in and out of the water, like Japanese calligraphy, forming words and sentences. I walk along the shore of the lake every morning and afternoon and wonder what the universe is trying to say.
