Riding the Raindrops

A universe descends

Like a tiny inhabitant of another planet, the yellow-spotted bug — I do not know its name — rides the raindrops on the plane of the microscopic world. Unfurled by my camera lens, an entire universe descends into reality, a world I could not see until I breathed a little more deeply and took the time to look at the tiny. But who’s to say, really, which is big and which is small. For, if you were that bug, those dewdrops would look very tall and I wonder if you would even see me at all.

While experimenting with my new macro lens this morning, I became fascinated with these tiny dewdrops on a nasturtium leaf. I took shot after shot, coming inside between sessions to investigate what I had captured. Imagine my surprise when I blew up one of the images and saw this tiny yellow bug “riding the raindrops.”

I believe that to truly understand a poem, it needs to be heard. To hear the rhythm, the cadence, the emphasis, please listen to my recording of “Riding the Raindrops.”

If you enjoyed this glimpse into the world of the very small, you might also enjoy this recent walk in the woods in Calistoga California:

Or this story about composition and the life of a photographer’s daughter:

Or this moment, when a flock of birds made time stop for me:

Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).

Photo and poem ©Erika Burkhalter.