Nature's Chatter

After 8 months (since my major surgery), I finally gained enough confidence to do a solo walk into the forested area of Bukit Timah Hill this morning. Having grown in strength, stamina and gut control, I headed off. I have forgotten what it feels like to be walking alone.

The first thing that hit me was the "silence" - the absence of human voices. Accustomed to walking with a group of friends, I was suddenly struck by the "chatter" of nature. With my mouth closed, my other senses became much more acute. I paused to listen to the song of the cicadas. Nothing melodious, yet somehow engaging in their monotonous, ceaseless drone - ringing with a desperate urgency to attract a mate before life ends - and they die unfulfilled, work unaccomplished, useless, contributing nothing more to the earth than their noisy mating calls and empty, dead carcasses!

Then I heard the lovely songs of the birds. In contrast to the cicadas, theirs was indeed music to my ears. Filled with so much tone, tune and melody, they were singing their throats out. But like the cicadas, they were hard to spot. I was neither able to identify the song of the birds, nor the birds when I did spot them. I moved on getting a rhythm to my steps and opening up my pace.

I saw colourful butterflies flitting from ground to leaf and from leaf to flower. Their bright colours complimented the different tones of green foliage around. My steps were light as I took deep breaths and smelt the earth. How wonderful it was to be alive and walking. I gave a heartfelt thanks to God.

I passed furry stems that stuck out into my path, with brown and wrinkled tendrils at their ends. Flowers that were once attached, boasting their beauty, were no longer there. I looked down at the fallen petals, some still fresh and exuding their scent, clinging on to life. Others were mashed into the muddy ground, trodden by careless boots of unseeing walkers. Much like me when I have company and we engage in talk and sometimes senseless arguments ... missing so much that is nature's "chatter", screaming to be heard - a silent voice - that often stands no chance against human noise.

Other walkers and a few bikers passed me by. I hardly noticed them, although I heard the crunching of feet and the gnashing of bicycle tires on graveled ground. I was too immersed listening to nature talk.

After a long while, the sound of human voices rudely intruded into my senses. I realized I was almost done. I was close to the end of the trail. Soon, the sound of traffic caught my attention. I was back to civilization. Sadly, I made my way out onto the road. I paused and looked back at the beautiful corridor that I had been treading through.

It was a lovely hour of being awakened to nature, just because I had walked alone. Perhaps I can do this again soon ... or I can learn to walk in silence in company ... or maybe not. Walking with friends meant a time of sharing and learning and laughing and being ...

I think I shall find another time I can get away with just myself and again enjoy nature's chatter.