Hi friends,
On vacation now in rural Spain, endeavoring to write something, anything, every day. FIELD REPORT reframes signals of external change as opportunities for internal change. My writing experiment challenges me to identify those external changes that might easily elude me. It’s become a little ritual of slowing down and observing what is happening around me, to me, or inside me.
The slow hot sparse environment of the “empty Spain” countryside is quite full if you take a moment to notice (As the map above demonstrates, for years this area was not mapped well because the great Spanish cartographers at the time were more excited about other new lands).
Below are some examples of some sensations I have experienced. Sometimes it started in English, sometimes in Spanish. I did use translation tools here and there to find a better word or phrase. But, I’ve chosen not to provide a fully translated edition this time and leave the writing in a hybrid unpolished form.
Oscuridad
It’s a new sensation always getting into a pool again. Getting back to that comfortable place. The childhood fear still lingering, ready to rush out and warn me of the danger. I calm down. Breath. Relax again. I’m floating, drifting towards the far edge of the pool when my toe touches the bottom, “oh” it’s not so deep as I thought.
“'¡Bueno!”
Or something that sounds like that bursts the bubble of warmth. I was unaware that I was so close to being asleep. Maybe I was asleep. In that in-between space. Sometimes waking up feels like returning, swooshed up from a profound depth. This time it was like a verbal dart gently arrived and popped the envelope.
I recognized the voice. I understood it was a greeting, from behind. Like an alert. Maybe he had said more and I didn’t hear it. I turned to see him approaching on the grass with work gloves and plant shears in his hands.
“Don’t get up…I’m here to trim the vines” is what I interpreted he said.
Grados
Low in the sky, its imminent arrival was long ago announced. Without reference, it seems impossible to track its progress. Yet it moves. Steadily higher. The crisp cool morning air still damp from dawn sprinklers. When low in the sky the heat of its rays is weaker.
Oh, how the flies do arrive and annoy.
My warming skin, hair raised a bit to cool is met all too frequently by some buzzing pestering fly. What is the attraction?
Above the distant tree canopy, the beams blast through cool air. Still calm air. The only thing moving are the pesky flies. Well, we are all moving. Spinning together on this big blue marble.
The moment has arrived. My pores open and I start to sweat. Slowly. The heat notching up little by little.
Everything is creaking and stretching as it warms up and expands. Fabric awnings crack a bit more taut as they dry off their morning dew. Metal panels clink.
The flies. Oh, the flies. There is no breeze to ebb them away. Not yet. The morning air still heavy and blanketing the fields.
The cushions are now too hot. I need to ventilate. Too hot. Getting too hot just sitting here prone to the riot of erratic flies.
Ahh a rustle of leaves in the distant tree top announces its arrival. A cool breeze passes by. Then more. It won’t stay for long but it’s a wave of refreshment. More rustling as waves pass through. We have entered a new phase of the morning. Even the breeze has awoken and is stretching out. Turning over the leaves their undersides exposed. Glimmering like sequins.
Things we feel, are made visible by the world around us.
Juntos
Estamos tres
Tengo dos piernas
Tienes cuatro y tu, mi amigo pequeño ¿tienes cuantos? ¿Seis? ¿Ocho?
¡Estas tan pequeña!
Que es difícil ver cuantos piernas tienes
Estamos pasando
Pues me parece que solo de nos no puede mover nunca.
Tus cuatros piernas y tu tabla sientate todos los dias
Debajo del sol
¿Esperando para nos?
¿Esperando por el sombra?
¿Esperando por el sol o la luna besar tu piel de madera?
Y tu mi amigo pequeño
¿Porque caminas en esta o aquella dirección?
Parece que no puedes decidirte
Los sombras pueden ser peligrosas ¿no?
A veces es un pájaro o mio o un gato curioso tiene hambre
¡Cuidado los gatos!
Pero siempre estamos revolviendo en el espacio en el universe
Forma
¿Donde estás esta mañana?
Encima del hierba
Debajo de las hojas
Están durmiendo en las sombras
Entre los dedos de pie del pájaros
Encima de la nariz del perro
Anoche volvieron del cielo
Cuando la luna sale
El aire de noche lleno con vapor
Les dice, gracias por visitarnos
Bien hecho, puedes cambiar al agua ahora
Y puedes acostarse
en la hierba,
La tierra,
Los narises y los dedos de pie
Hasta mañana
Cuando el sol amanece
Y los vientos llegan
Puedes cambiar al vapor otra vez
Y podemos visitar y jugar todo el mundo
Coordinaciones
Respira los movimientos
Abajo, Debajo
Doble, Empuja
Empiezo el motor
los engranajes quedan
Estamos conduciendo
Las gentes en las calles
Van en esta o aquella dirección
Pero no quedamos
Nos pasamos en las sombres
Hasta que aparece una cara conocida
Nuestra horarios y citas
Regalos sorpresa
El mercado esta lleno hoy
Muchos tráfico de caritas
Disculpa donde esta eso o esto
Aquí sin pare
Efectivo? cambio? Gracias adios
los engranajes quedan
30 50 80 50 30
Repites
Hasta no llaves
La piscina canta
Ven aquí ven aquí
Cantos de la Mañana
Todos los pájaros
Ritmos diferentes
Algunos repiten, exhalan chirriantes
Algunos nunca son iguales
Desde este balcón
Se elevan desde su nido
Respuestas cercanas
Se reanudan en silencio
Ladridos en campos distantes
Se acerca un megáfono
Se repiten invitaciones grabadas
Diesel al ralentí
Rodaje lento por la carretera principal occidental
Engranajes de metal engranan
Reposicionamiento
Repeticiones de llamadas
Resonando en el adobe
Anuncios a las diez
Llamada y respuestas
Los gallos tienen la ultima palabra
-
Todos los pajaros
Diferente rhythms
Some repeat, chirping exhales
Some never the same
From this balcony
They loft from their coup
Nearby responses
Quiet resumes
Barks in distant fields
A megaphone approaches
Recorded invitations repeat
Idling diesel
Slow rolling upon western main
Metal gears engage
Repositioning
Repeating appeals
Echoing across adobe
Anuncios a las diez
Call and response
Los gallos have the last word
Communidad
Highly recommend
‘s recent post, “Listening is the whole deal”Thanks to
for recommending FIELD REPORT! 🎉¡Nos vemos en agosto!
FIELD REPORT
FIELD REPORT's goal is to reframe signals of external changes into opportunities for internal change. I want to harness the abundance of knowledge generated daily to bolster our readiness to change ourselves. All posts are handmade with some synthesis and imagery co-created with generative AI tools. Thank you for reading.
El objetivo de FIELD REPORT es reformular las señales de cambios externos para convertirlas en oportunidades de cambio interno. Quiero aprovechar la abundancia de conocimientos que se generan a diario para reforzar nuestra disposición a cambiar nosotros mismos. Todos los posts están hechos a mano con algunas síntesis e imágenes co-creadas con herramientas de IA generativa. Gracias por su lectura.
Obrigada por isso, dear Scott! Sabrosas palabras :)