Picture this

There was a book due back to the library today and another to pick up by today so, after putting the washing on the line, I walked into town. By the time I was walking home again, I decided what I’d experienced was a sensory walk of sights, sounds, and smells…

No photos were taken, but I can picture it all (well, most of it).

What I saw: A long, twisting branch on a weeping elm. A row of people sitting cross-legged on a long bench with their hands in prayer position and eyes closed. The tempting covers of books on the Recent Returns shelves. Posters of a white dove with olive branch on the synagogue gate. A white waxy flower yet to open on a magnolia tree. White clouds against the blue sky.

What I heard: It was comparatively quiet with less traffic so the sound of the walk buzzer seemed extra loud. The rumble and clack of the Invercargill tram. Water splashing in a fountain. People saying hello in passing.

What I smelt: A dark, rich odour from the organics rubbish truck. The hot tar on the pavement. The cool fresh scent of a shading tree.

What I felt: The sudden coolness under a huge leafy tree. The weight of my backpack. The hot sun making my skin prickle with sweat.

What I tasted: Cool clean water from a drinking fountain.

Most of all, I thought about the huge trees which gave me shade. Under them I sensed unappreciated power in their change of atmosphere.