Essay: Talk about a place of great natural beauty
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It was the hour when the sun’s golden hue filled the horizon. I settled down comfortably on a huge rock jutting out from the foot of a cliff. It was a moment of joy as I watched the evening migration of the seagulls. I felt a strong urge to walk, and so I did. A strong craving for freedom arose in me as I walked on that lonely but nevertheless beautiful evening. My intention of visiting this place was to enjoy the peace and serenity that it offered. At the same time I longed to catch glimpses of the familiar yet extraordinary beauty of God’s creation. Indeed, I found that moment excellent for relaxing the stressful and tension filled minds of man who lives in this materialistic society.
As I strolled along the beach, my rough feet touched the smooth white sand which seemed to gleam under the thin and dim rays of the setting sun. It was so gentle that I felt as if I was walking on a carpeted floor of a grand hotel. I looked ahead at the green, calm sea and my little heart was touched.
The beauty, of which I was then the witness, was beyond description. I only wished that I was born an artist so that I could capture this wonder and preserve it in my paintings. Walking on, I was visited by ecstacy when the naughtily noisy waves splashed on my bare feet. Far along the other end of the beach were some fishermen busy preparing their fishing nets and touching up their boats before they resume their daily work in the open sea.
Feeling tired after the long walk, I stopped and sat on a fallen coconut tree trunk. Even at this moment I could capture another aspect of the wonder of that evening. I was enthralled by the neat rows of coconut trees standing upright as if mocking the fishermen who were sweating and toiling to earn a living. The trees dancing and swaying to the music of the rushing waves made my heart sing to the matchless rhythm.
As time passed, the sun was almost disappearing behind the horizon. Nevertheless, there was still a group of young boys, naked, playing police and thief and making sandcastles. They were happy in their innocence. The still evening air brought their laughter over the sands and into my ears. Somehow, within me glowed the strong urge to shout and tell the world the unsurpassable joy I was then feeling and to reveal my pleasure and gratitude to God, the Creator.
Looking above me, at the clear blue sky, I could see tiny dots of stars beginning to appear jointly in the darkening sky. Then, my eyes caught the most beautiful sight. The beauty was inimitable. It was a group of long necked swans gently flying over the enormous ball of fire which was, a moment ago, shining in all its glory. The moon then appeared, taking the place of the sun. It was difficult to grasp the idea that the moon’s brightness is but a mere reflection of the sun’s light. This, to me, pointed to the harsh reality behind the beauty of man-made laws.
As it was already dark, the fishing boats were out of sight and the children have gone home. Feeling lonely, I left the realm of all emotions, of love and trust and of life and death, which is the beautiful beach. The beauty will remain engraved in my heart for all eternity. This is the only place that narrates, on its own, the beauty of nature.”
