"Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan's egg." Hans Christian Anderson, "The Ugly Duckling"
Swans come and go in a small lake behind my home. When I see them through the double French doors, I try to grab my camera and take a break from my busy schedule to go down by the water. Even when I only have fifteen minutes to spare, those times are precious and relaxing for me. They change my perspective for the rest of the day! Watching the swans reminds me that nature never hurries. Priorities are accomplished, without over-extending, or the stress of watching a clock. A few years ago, the swans inspired me to create some paintings of them and to write poetry again. Crafting the words into descriptive verses made me consider the life lessons I encountered there. For example, I considered times of brokenness in my life, and how much those experiences were like ripples in the water when they shattered against the shoreline. I mused about what lessons a swan parent could teach his or her young in that natural, everyday occurence, and decided it was a good example of how brokenness may at first seem like a loss, but the fragments became glorious bursts of light to dazzle anyone who took the time to observe them. Life can be like that. Our wounds, once healed, provide light to share with others who are hurting.
In a work that brings those three short poems out of hiding, I've gathered a few of my photos and paintings to create a gift for anyone who might enjoy something short and throught-provoking. "Swan Lessons" is a seven-page booklet in which seven swans are swimming, and it's available as free download to enjoy! It is copyrighted, so send friends to this blog link to download their own copy.
To enjoy your free download of "Swan Lessons," click the link on the title or the photo of the swan. To see the original paintings, click the title for them listed here: "Sunset Swan" and "Swan at Sunset." For more information about other published works, see the homepage of this website, Southern Sky Publishing. For more original art, see Pamela Poole Fine Art.