Reflections, chaos and a river runs through it – Lens Artists Challenges #87, 88 and 89.

Reflection
by Shel Silverstein.

‘Each time I see the Upside-Down Man, standing in the water
I look at him and start to laugh, although I shouldn’t oughtter
For maybe in another world, another time, another town
Maybe HE is right side up
And I am upside down.’

I intended this poem for Lens Artists challenge #87, reflections but with the rapid change in life in NZ in the last couple of weeks, I think a lot of us are feeling upside down right now.

New Zealand is in a state of national emergency and from 1 minute to midnight tonight, the country will be in lockdown. Work places have closed, all public events are cancelled, schools, libraries, museums and shops are shut and we are asked to stay at home unless we work in essential occupations. The defence force is on stand by and doctors, nurses and police officers are coming out of retirement to lend a hand.

I am now working from home and like a lot of others, am a little anxious about the future. I’m lucky to live in the country and have a productive vegetable garden and great neighbours but there are many people not so fortunate. What will become of them?

Reflections only happen in quiet water.

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve filled any gaps in the cupboards, postponed a planned May holiday and made sure I’m set up to work from home. I’m ready to face the chaos. But I’ve got behind with the Lens Artists challenges so I decided to catch up all at once.

Ann Christine chose chaos as challenge #88 before the world turned upside down. She must have known something.

I spent the last normal weekend helping my sister on her farm in the Waioeka Gorge. Her partner was on a boy’s biking trip to the South Island and along with thousands of others is now trying to get across Cook Strait and home. There’s chaos at the ferry terminal.

And chaos as the cows all try to get through the gate at the same time.

On the way home I stopped at at the Manganuku conservation campsite beside the Manganuku Stream in the gorge and photographed one of the few remaining historic Howe truss bridges for Amy’s challenge #89, a river runs through it.

So there you have it, I’m caught up and hopefully will have time to check out all your posts.

In the words of our Prime Minister, (who in one parliamentary term has had to deal with a terrorist massacre of innocent mosque-goers, a fatal volcanic eruption and now a global pandemic) ‘Be calm, be kind, stay at home, we can break the chain.’

Stay safe everyone xx