A Buck Contemplating the Meaning of Life and a Bird Scratching Its Head: Wildlife Photography

1.JPG

a buck contemplated
the meaning of life
in strange abstract colors
whilst a bird
perched high in a tree
scratched its head
delighted by the absence
of thoughts that might have run
amok in its mind


Nothing made sense as the color of the pregnant sun slowly descended below the horizon. A pungent yellow filled its mind as abstract words slowly formed into unrecognizable formations. What was going on in its head? It looked forward contemplating the moment for what it was, but what it was was a mystery it could not resolve.

The buck continued to contemplate life in its own framework trying to relate the sensory overload to rigid categories it understood. But the pieces did not fit; squared circles, and circular triangles, everything seemed so strange in the dying yellow light.

These are the strange musings I imagine are stuck in the buck's mind while I photograph it. It is said that even if a lion could speak English, we would not understand it. This takes some time to wrap your head around, but as soon as the penny drops, you will understand. But in any case, these are some more photographs I took of the wildlife that surrounded us. I imagined that whilst this waterbuck contemplated the meaning of life, the southern yellow-billed hornbill teased it, scratching its own head, empty of these existential thoughts. I hope you enjoy the photographs and my philosophical musings if you read them!

2.JPG

It was not far from the seeping philosophical stench of the buck that a bird with a nose way too big for its own sanity sat perched on a branch overlooking the ordeal. For it, the stench smelled of an unfamiliar problem it could not deal with, it did not have the capacity to think such thoughts.

3.JPG

But the buck was persistent and the abstract forms should be forced into whatever hole they belong, all in the name of meaning and understanding and eloquent flow of thoughts. The abrupt stifling of thoughts could not be permitted, the pregnant sun on the horizon an indication of the urgency to grasp at something that made sense.

4.JPG

Yet, all of this flew past the mind of the bird scratching its own head out of spite. From the butterfly's wings, chaos ensues on the other side of the planet, but from the scratching of its head, chaos erupted in the mind of the buck.

5.JPG

Then nothing made sense in the floating disarray of displayed chaotic abstract objects. Sensory overload; nothing fitted in the premade structures. And the buck's mind collapsed in on itself creating an epistemic black hole that pulled everything with it. The pregnant yellow sun became a ripe fruit ready to be plucked from the sky; the persistent scratching of the bird became a poetic masterpiece paired with the zooming of a fly; the strange figure standing mere meters away taking photographs become a god-like figure towering over everything with the click of a button.

6.JPG

And then with a sudden crash of everything, the bird sat perched up straight, again mocking the stench of the buck stewing in its own thoughts.

7.JPG

And the buck's wife looked at it with dismay. Why again? She thought to herself. Why again with this nonsense?

8.JPG

The buck turned away, not knowing who it was in this strange world full of concepts that did not make sense.

9.JPG

Postscriptum, or Chaotic Nonsense

This post turned out to be more of an abstract art piece than a philosophical reflective piece. I hope that, if you read it, that it made some sense. If not, I hope you enjoyed the photographs.

In any case, happy photographing, and stay well.

All of the photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm lens. The musings are also my own, albeit inspired by the bird scratching its head.



0
0
0.000
25 comments
avatar

Sounds all so familiar to some of the sounds floating around the empty space every so often !LOLZ

Excellent photography some !WINE to enjoy when the red rubber ball falls from the sky!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you so much. I surely need this. Been writing for a couple of days with no breaks between. I know very stupid. But when in the state of flow you need to capitalise on it. I need the wine now.

0
0
0.000
avatar

So many interruptions of late I battle to write, enjoy when the mood takes you.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I can only imagine, political instability before the elections and all. I hope you are safe. Luckily the taxi strikes ended in the Cape, but what I heard from friends and family, they are still on a knife's edge.

0
0
0.000
avatar

We will live on the knife's edge till well after the elections, eyes in the back of ones head.... !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
avatar

So true. I try to not mind politics too much but its getting too much. Its affecting everything around us.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Problem is we have to keep a finger on the pulse... 🙃

0
0
0.000
avatar

A little hope (a brief pulse) goes a long way. I saw this morning there is talk about uniting some of the smaller parties. Hopefully this will come as a good thing.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Multi-Party Pact should hopefully boost more confidence, people must vote the lazy attitude is why nothing gets done here.

Two parties have openly declared never going into coalition with ANC or EFF, being the FFP and ActionSA.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, I saw that as well! I really hope that this will inspire people to take their vote seriously and see we can actually bring about change.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Really hope people sit up and take notice this time.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I really hope so as well. Even with a little change and hope, we might actually get something positive from it all.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Bring in balance would be good, actually get people employed on merit system.

0
0
0.000
avatar

That is our main problem, right? The merit system is not present. Those who can actually do the job is not getting work. Such a sad situation.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Many highly qualified sitting on pavements searching for an opportunity, system is broken!

0
0
0.000
avatar

It is totally broken. In my field of philosophy, the minimum requirement to get a job is a Ph.D. Getting a Ph.D. will immediately overqualify you for other jobs. I know so many people with Ph.D. who cannot find work.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Sounds all too familiar, reason why so many are going back to basics the realm of educating oneself is never a definite answer to employment of late.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes so true. And it is so sad because one is left out of the loop when not getting good education but that education is not guarantee of employment as you said. And here in SA education is very expensive.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Education is not worth anything where there is no opportunity on offer to build on it in the workforce.

0
0
0.000
avatar

So true. Also especially in a system where merit is not taken into consideration.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Congratulations @fermentedphil! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)

You got more than 5500 replies.
Your next target is to reach 5750 replies.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

Check out our last posts:

Women's World Cup Contest - Round of 16 - Recap of Day 2
Women's World Cup Contest - Round of 16 - Recap of Day 1
Women's World Cup Contest - Recap of day 15
0
0
0.000
avatar

Such an intricate writing style you have - wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed all your wildlife photographs and philosophical musings (or abstract art), which I read in wonder. I wonder what bird that was?.. spectacular! All creatures out there!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you so much my friend! I really appreciate it. The bird is a Southern yellow-billed hornbill. They are such spectacular looking birds!

0
0
0.000