This morning when I stepped out onto the lanai (a Hawaiian open deck or porch)
to take a break from editing,
I was struck with awe by the presence of the most extraordinary cloud
hovering out over the entire coastline.
Wow...was the word that emerged from my lips...(a nature mantra).
I involuntarily sat down on the floor and opened myself to this floating water being.
A noisy little plane flew by it, a mosquito to its grand mass.
I admired its form, especially the remarkable flatness of its underside
and wondered what pressures made it hold that shape.
As the noise of a wood shredder droned in the distance,
the phrase "head in the clouds" came to mind.
Like beast, when used to refer to a person, this is a derogative term.
In that moment, as had happened when I discovered the etymology of beast
(indoeuropean: deer),
I embraced a new meaning for this phrase.
I think we would all do well, on occasion, to have
OUR HEADS IN THE CLOUDS....
