To see a World in a Grain of Sand - or the eye of a dragonfly.....
(To paraphrase Blake)
As I bent to take a photo of this dragonfly in the UK the other day, it decided that my hand made a better perch, so this photo was snapped by my wife (and yes, that is a post quarantine beard...how many of us grew them while trapped at home?).
The common darter, at rest.
A common sight, but nonetheless very attractive, with its distinctive red stripe and back colouring.
The poem i refer to is Auguries of Innocence BY WILLIAM BLAKE
To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour
It starts with this wonderful praising, but this wonderful long poem goes on to lament the mistreatment of animals; It is a description of cruelties and barbarism against innocent creatures and how they do not augur well for human beings. Sadly, just as true today, as it was when written. Mink farms? Bear bile farms? Destruction of our environment? Throughout the poem Blake uses animals and imagary to show the ruthless, miserable and corrupt traits of mankind, which has made humanity stand at the verge of chaos. Me with Dragonfly 20 - 8 - 2020.
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