The Rhyme of the Fish in the Well

It is in the speech of carters and housewives, in the speech of blacksmiths and old women, that one discovers the magic that sings the claim of the voice in the shadow, or that chants the rhyme of the fish in the well.
John Maruskin

John Maruskin's wise words were written in a published essay some time ago, and they have been much with me since I first read them - I have quoted them here and there and in many places during the last year or two, and eventually, I printed them off and pinned them to the bulletin board here in my little study (which is about the size of a bedroom closet). Although the words speak (or rather sing) of that which is magical, mysterious and mythical rather than the deep flowing Lanark rivers I have been blogging about in the last week or two, they are evocative and good words for pondering.

I think of us as a vast network of clear flowing waters, wise and becoming entities on a shared voyage. Our journey begins in high and secret places and meanders through cultivated fields, orchards and groves, climbs winding trails up onto moonlight mesas and then returns to the nurturing heights again. We each do this in our own way and in our own time, and we have wisdoms great and small to share about our journey.

As I write this morning, I am waving a goblet of water in your direction and toasting you with the fundamental "stuff" of life (hopefully without spilling it on the keyboard). May the waters of your life flow clear and cool over mountain stones and through the valleys too. May there be glorious moons and wide vistas waiting for you up ahead on the trail, and may there be many wonders. May your words flow freely and from the heart, bubbling up from the deep well of your creativity and shared experience. May your springs never run dry.