Fires of loss

The title comes from a talk by the Buddhist teacher Tara Brach (here - you have to scroll down), the link for which was sent to me by a good friend last year. That kind thought started a serious interest for me in what Tara has to say.

This image however is one which came to me more recently, thinking of how my understanding of my life with Teleri - and also my appreciation of my present life with M - seem to be screened by a tangle of thorns, shoots, lianas. I'm still absorbing how to understand the image. This photo was taken when I lit a big bonfire of last year's weeds and old crops - itself always a very symbolic act, especially at this time of year as the old year closes and a new one begins. The next day I realised that the way the fire continues to smoulder under the ashes is also part of the picture. I've no tidy answer - this is contemplation in process.