“As though
the river were
a floor, we position
our table and chairs
upon it, eat, and
have conversation.
As it moves along,
we notice—as
calmly as though
dining room paintings
were being replaced—
the changing scenes
along the shore. We
do know, we do
know this is the
Niagara River, but
it is hard to remember
what that means.”—Kay Ryan, “The Niagara River”
Nature continues in cycles: birth, growth, death, birth. Are we connecting with these deep and abiding currents? Do we live in alignment with nature’s order, or do we adorn our temporary reality as if it will always be the same?
Nothing is really solid, even the dining room table. It’s hard to remember we are transient, and when we do it can feel kind of lonely and sad. But it can also be really enlivening and liberating to view change as part of who and what we are, rather than part of something we have to conquer.
Transience is the design. It is, paradoxically, a very old and sacred thing. If we can (even just a little bit!) open up and embrace uncertainty, we can also feel a joyful wonderment as we encounter cycles of change.
—Jessica Lien, Prairiewoods development coordinator