acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Nyalla and the Full Moon

Tonight we have the most beautiful golden full moon rising steadily through the leafless trees; a male nyalla antelope is breathing his last breath. With leaves so sparse on the trees he has eaten of a poisonous vine – the last green leaf he could reach. His body, already thin, is barely visible above the ground; his massive horns appear unwieldy and only a hindrance now. Last week he was in love with a beautiful female. While the others were feasting on the Lucerne (alfalfa) bales, he only had eyes for her. His tracks from this morning are by our step.

The moon climbs higher preaching continuity – life goes on; wars happen, banks close, recession, succession, ; the baboons watch well into darkness. Moving like shadows away from our view but staying in range of the nyalla. They shy away from eye contact with us, even though we are watching from behind the glass window. They too are hungry, desperate.

Two giraffe stroll in to the waterhole, stretching to reach new leaves on the taller trees. They look like giants, white and shapely in the low light. All the animals seem restless, for ever walking back and forth – waiting for that first green flush of summer.

Do animals have souls? Is his emerging from his exhausted body like a magnificent butterfly from a chrysalis – soaring away from the pain of transition? or not...

15 comments:

Angela said...

Yes please, may their souls all rise up above and be in peace. I want to meet all my human and animal friends again in heaven - if that`s the place? - and why should they not belong there? I just got news of a friend who also passed - may his soul be as happy as the nyalla`s...

Janelle said...

ah val...so poignant...i could be there...all the smells, the dust and waiting, for the rain...and that mysterious green flush before...LOVE this post..and was laughing at the teasmaid...i remember them but we never had one...! but the wilsons did. XX janelle

Tess Kincaid said...

Beautiful full moon post! Thanks for stopping by my place. I think I landed on yours at least 50 times via the black box. ;^)

Miranda said...

Ah Val, love it. Maybe that fat happy moon is where all the souls go?

Reya Mellicker said...

I am praying for rain to fall gently all around you.

No one can say for sure, but I believe soul permeates everything, even "inanimate" objects. It's a different kind of soul that inhabits a rock, but it's there, or at least I think so.

May the nyalla pass quickly and painlessly, and may nyalla heaven consist of lots of plush green leaves and gorgeous females.

I always say this to you, but I have to say it again: thank you for this blog! Thank you.

Lori ann said...

val, your words are incredibly lovely, they paint a picture,like poetry.

i think yes to the soul ? its in the eyes.

and i agree with reya, thanks.
x lori

Val said...

hi all thanks for your lovely comments -

Angela - sadness is everywhere, but also joy, the moon is the reminder;

Janelle - thanks - I know you KNOW this stuff :)

Willow - glad to hear you are coming by! am enjoying yours too;

Miranda - I love the fat happy moon repository of souls - i wouldnt mind going there :)

Reya - thank you thank you again for your kind words and thoughts ;

lori - welcome! thanks for yours too. I agree ;

XX to all

Unknown said...

Such a poignant post, and yes, they have souls, all of them. May the rains come soon and may the Nyala enjoy new green pastures in that other place.

A Concerned Citizen said...

I think that all animals have souls (in fact I think that even the trees have souls). I hope that the nyalla's soul departed peacefully when it crossed over to the next place.

I just finished a book -- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle -- which basically is Hamlet set on a dog-breeding farm in Wisconsin in the 1950s/1960s. One of the dogs is the soul mate of the main character, who is a 14-year old boy. The dog dies before she and the boy have settled all there is to do and say between them, but her soul comes back to visit him and they straighten things out.

I have a lot of difficulty when animals are in pain or die, even more so than with people (not sure what that says about my character). I was still feeling wounded by the death of the fictional dog when I read about your nyalla. Reading about these two animal deaths back-to-back reinforces my belief that there is something between the animals and me, something that I need to get to the bottom of.

OK, I'm rambling and really should stop, but before I do I need to say, last but not least, thank you very much for a beautiful post.

Val said...

wow thanks absolute vanilla and Adrianne - I am so moved by all the wonderful responses to this post X

Fire Byrd said...

I black boxed my way here.
Wat wonderful words to find when I got here.
The cycle of life and death just never ends does it.

You shold worry about your mother having a teasmade, I got one for a wedding present and I'm NOT that old, surely?

virtualjourney said...

Black Boxed my way here. Beautiful posts - the monkey through the glass must have been quite a shock!

Val said...

Firebyrd and Virtual Voyage - thanks for visiting and your kind words :-)

I'm relieved to hear that teasmaids are still around - phew

yes the monkey through the window - incredible! and all the doors were opened for him he just couldnt see them - is that a life metaphor??

will said...

Hey, Thanks for the Black Box stop-by... nice story about the full moon. Here in the Seattle area - known as the Emerald City because of all the rain and green plants - moon glow is often hidden. Where the skies are clear AND there is a full moon - everyone takes note of it.

Cheers!

Unknown said...

Beautiful post....animals are God's creatures too so I have always felt they have a soul and reside with God in heaven.

Love the blog. The Black Box widget brought me here :-)