The Swarming of the Terns

What can I give back to nature from my collection of daily experiences at the seaside? Is that my endeavour in writing this short note? I share with you what I saw with my Lumex eye. You can see my friends, the Terns swarming away over the surf as I tried to approach them as slowly and silently as possible. In vain, here they have flown up, looking for another seat on the deserted peninsula. Singing with their high pitched cheering voices, much louder than their kindred of the inland: the Swallows.

Both can manoeuvre while flying at lightening speed. They symbolize the uplifting and diving movement of my winged soul, while I’m tuning in on their jolly song.Their wings beating sharply, almost cutting the winds and inviting my mind to join their dance. But what fascinates me most in the swarming swerve start of the Terns is that uncomprehensible highly energetic unity in ‘Gestalt’-change. Flying and swerving so close to each other, this ordered chaos of beating wings, they form one integrated whole without collision by moving in the same direction.

Some same direction, would be a better expression, because it remains unclear how that direction is determined. For now I keep the view that the swarming is a whirling, self organizing dance, a kind of natural musical performance for totalities. This is a performing way of being that engages me deeply. It arouses my thoroughly felt enthousiasm on the spot. I feel participating in some sort of primordial creation. Walking through an Unknow Garden where the Names of trees and animals have not yet been revealed to me. Now, in these poor words I feel stammering: if only I could render to Nature one small glittering jewel, containing the unspeakable truth of that split-second moment of my meeting with the Terns today.