Rivers of Wind

In the foreword to the vibrant book connecting Nature with language there is a quote from Goethe: 'life in its wholeness is expressed as a force not attributable to any individual part of an organism'; and it goes without saying that we are both part of this and an expression of the same force. The titles of these essays are evocative, such as Riddles, Lethe, Provinces of the, Last Season's Fruit, Parasitism, and Apoptosis. The author is convinced, with reason, that our passivity in relation to Nature is the death of a world through our very lifestyles and destruction of biodiversity as part of Nature's resilience. In case you're wondering, apoptosis is the transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly, a metaphor widely used these days, but which the author elaborates in fascinating detail, also asking about the purpose served by death. Some languages evolve in partnership with landscapes and people and are more adequate as a result of this embeddedness, which we also recognise in appreciating living beauty. The author believes that the language of sustainability is insufficient, and should be replaced by the idea is thriving as full of life - I agree. He digs deeper by writing about the importance of stories and the poetry of language as a powerful way of communicating from the heart. In this way we have more chance of being true to ourselves and treu - loyal and true to Nature.