A HOME FOR THE LIGHT

     The sun is a very generous being, it shines all over the Earth but it is not the same everywhere. In some places the sun brings more than light and warmth. His own soul comes down in each sunbeam, kisses the waters of the sea softly, caresses the trees and renews the energy in the wings of the birds. It’s very rare, once in a thousand years, but sometimes the sun chooses a place or a being to reveal the secret of his light, works side by side with some restless dreamer and when he returns to the sky leaves behind a precious piece of his soul.
     On that morning there was more light and warmth than ever in the beach by the Forest of Dreams. The persistent cloud was hovering very close to the dunes, sweeping across the paths between the rows of magnificent trees. Fertile dunes bathed by the sea and caressed by the sun. As so many times before, that simple combination of tranquility and beauty were making her to sing within. Well, perhaps it wasn’t only within, because someone else was listening to her chant.
     The wind arrived softer than ever, looked in every direction for the source of that chant. He couldn’t see the little bird, the tiny ant or the luminous woman. Only the Lost Sailor was below on the beach, throwing stones to the water as usual. This time the wind was surprised with his presence there again, doing the same thing he ever did. He thought that after that magical night in the Light Boat he wasn’t lost anymore… He was so surprised that decided to blow directly in his face… in vain. The Lost Sailor didn’t even notice the wind. So the wind began to blow sand over his feet until they were completely covered… in vain. The Lost Sailor continued throwing stones to the water, completely indifferent to all the rest.
     The wind thought to himself that even if he covered him completely with sand, everything would remain the same… so he gave up and went on looking for the persistent cloud, his inseparable companion. After many swirls, twirls and whirls around the trees he finally found her. She was wearing a tiara of flowers and dewdrops. She was so shiny and peaceful singing softly that he didn’t dare to disturb her. He just stood there, listening for some time. When she finally stopped her chant, he hopped joyfully in front her, just like a free wild corcel.
     —So, you also sing, principessa?!
     —I learned with the little bird. Her chant is contagious. But I wasn’t singing… — She denied.
     —Oh, yes you were, I heard you… You were singing about a home of light… What is that? — He asked with great interest.
     —Restless rider, I wasn’t singing in an audible way, just my soul was singing, but if you heard me even so, that’s a very good sign… And you already got a glimpse of that Home of Light, right there in the Island of Stars. It is still there… can’t you see it? Usually, during the day is less visible, but today is a special day… Look at the sun… —she invited mysteriously.
     —Incredible! I didn’t notice before… The sun seems closer to the ground… The light seems more intense and warmer… but it doesn’t burn!!! How is it possible?! Is the sun falling down, principessa? — He asked a little scared.
     —No, he isn’t, he’s just paying a special visit to us… Today he brought us a most precious gift… a piece of his soul… — she answered smiling to the sun.
     —What?! Does the sun have a soul too? And if he does won’t he miss that piece of his soul afterwards? — He asked really bewildered.
     —You always make funny questions, restless rider, that’s why I love you so much. You spend your time riding across the world, always moving so swift that you don’t pay attention to simple beautiful things like this… The sun won’t miss this piece of his soul because we are always together… this way we’ll be even closer. Today is really a very special day… The Island of Stars is completely visible and shining bright. — She explained with great tenderness.
     —Well, it seems to me that not everything is shining bright… Look that shadow over there… It seems the shadow of the Lost Sailor… I thought that finally his First Day of Creation had come and he was now sailing in the Light Boat…
     —And he is, his true soul is… If you look deeply you’ll see a sparkle on the deck… What you see there is just a walking shadow… it doesn’t belong here. He just wrecked on the wrong harbor… Let’s hope that he will wreck in the right harbor next time… There are plenty of harbors for shadows around the world but just a few for the light… I am on the right harbor… I’ll be here, I belong to the light…
    —WE belong to the light, principessa! This is the only place in the world that I really miss always… Though I do not have a home, my home is everywhere, this is the only place that my heart calls home! We’re lucky principessa, aren’t we?
     —We surely are, restless rider! If you happen to cross again with that shadow again, take a little bit of our light to him… Though he isn’t aware of that, he really needs it…

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     The drawings below are from the second album of Glimpses & Twinkles. Truly, some belong to the first one and were made some time ago... and some that belong to this one aren't still here because I couldn't finish them...

Inside the Seed II, drawing by São Ludovino.

A Home for the Light, drawing by São Ludovino.

Born to be eternal, drawing by São Ludovino.

Inexhaustible, drawing by São Ludovino.

Luminous V, drawing by São Ludovino.

Nautilus, drawing by São Ludovino.

Roots and Roads in the Sky, drawing by São Ludovino.

The Gift of Making Suns, drawing by São Ludovino.

The Source, drawing by São Ludovino.

Through the gates, drawing by São Ludovino.

Twin Souls II, drawing by São Ludovino.

Water of Light, drawing by São Ludovino.

Chrysalis, drawing by São Ludovino.

Luminous I, drawing by São Ludovino.

Luminous II, drawing by São Ludovino.

Luminous III, drawing by São Ludovino.

Dedication II, drawing by São Ludovino.

Listening to the Song of the Ocean, drawing by São Ludovino.

Made of Sky, Earth and Water III, drawing by São Ludovino.

Made of Sky, Earth and Water II, drawing by São Ludovino.

Open Stories' Path, drawing by São Ludovino.

WINTER SIGHTS

     Paraphrasing Magritte, this isn’t a post, at least it isn’t the post I intended to do. My computer crashed very seriously… As soon as I have conditions to work with it again I’ll complete this…Meanwhile I’ll work with my daughter’s computer and I’ll try to do something else… 
     Below are just a few images from my backyard in the country… an album to complete later…

Embracing the infinite I, photography by São Ludovino.

 Embracing the infinite II, photography by São Ludovino.

Firebird II photography by São Ludovino.

Firebird I photography by São Ludovino.

Precious, photography by São Ludovino.

In the Winter's Sun I, photography by São Ludovino.

A home in the wild, photography by São Ludovino.

Aging together II, photography by São Ludovino.

Dew bridge, photography by São Ludovino.

In the Winter's Sun II, photography by São Ludovino.

Infinite arms I, photography by São Ludovino.

Infinite arms II, photography by São Ludovino.

Light feeds the colour, photography by São Ludovino.

Old chalice, photography by São Ludovino.

Stars under my feet, photography by São Ludovino.

Winter's rebirth I, photography by São Ludovino.

Suspended garden, photography by São Ludovino.

The key is the tree, photography by São Ludovino.

NIGHT DAWN

        It should be Winter, it should look like Winter, it is Winter but it doesn’t look like Winter. It’s just a different Winter. Down there isn’t cold, the sea is quiet and the wind seems to be half asleep. Sometimes he sleeps during the day, sometimes he sleeps during the night. Tonight the wind is awake. Something in the sea awoke him. He is gazing soft breezes over the dunes and caressing the gentle waves. He can’t stay in silence for much longer; he just needs to talk with the persistent cloud about the vision below but he doesn’t want to disturb her sleep. Is she really sleeping?
     He comes nearer to her usual spot… Sometimes she is a little higher, sometimes she is a little lower but she never abandons her sky belvedere. She makes her journeys around and leaves her colourful cloudprints behind her. Just above his head he notices a shiny rainbow trail; he follows the trail and finds the cloud at the reach of his softest breeze.
     — Principessa, are you awake? You look so shiny tonight… Everything seems so shiny tonight… What’s happening down there? The luminous woman seems covered with tiny stars and a kind of light-mountain is growing near the coast… Even the Lost Sailor seems enveloped in a veil of light… —he said without preambles.
     — Restless Rider, why do you make the same question so many times? You know I rarely sleep and even when I do some of my drops keep awake in permanent vigil… just like the little bird. How could I sleep tonight when I know that I’m beholding the First Night of Creation? – She asked patiently.
     — What do you mean with The First Night of Creation? Who is creating all those bright things below? And I don’t see the little bird around… Well, I think I’m hearing her voice singing in the distance… It seems coming from that light-mountain in the sea… — He said pointing in the direction of the mountain.
     — And you’re right… She there indeed… One of these days I’ll read to you one of those stories the tiny ant wrote with the words and visions that came from the sea. Do you remember what happens to the stones that the Lost Sailor throws to the water? Well, now they are words and images in the tiny ant’s book. The first chapter is about the genesis of the Tree of Dreams… I know I promised to tell you that story long ago… but I’ve been so occupied… Today it won’t be still the day… or the night. But if you’ll look deeply around tonight then you’ll be more prepared to hear that story…
     The veil of light that you see around the Lost Sailor is just the branches of the primordial tree. The tree has been there all the time. That’s why I told you he wasn’t completely lost… It was the first tree that the little bird planted and she takes care of it with great dedication… The forest around grew from the seeds of this primordial tree… The primordial tree keeps producing seeds of light… that’s why the Forest of Dreams is endless… And what you see growing in the sea are also seeds of the primordial tree assuming new forms and light… How could I sleep, if I have all this beauty and magic to behold? – She partially explained the phenomena around.
     While the persistent cloud was speaking, a beautiful shape of light appeared slowly and began to move on the water heading to the light-mountain. Inside it was travelling the luminous woman with her long hair softly waving in the breeze. On the shoulder of the woman the little bird was singing. This time the woman was in silence, just looking to the light-mountain. The wind stood in silence for some time magnetized with that apparition. Then he exclaimed:
     — If this is the First Night of Creation… then I hope that many of these nights are coming ahead…!
     — And they are, Restless Rider! That light-mountain is an Island of Stars… Deep in the bottom of that island is the primordial seed of the Tree of Dreams… The tree was born and keeps growing from it but the seed is intact… It’s like an endless source. The luminous woman is the guardian of that seed… The little bird is the tireless winged gardener… So, you see, they necessarily must be together… The tiny ant takes care of the practical things for them; those things that creators and dreamers often forget to do… And they love and need the tiny ant… Probably they would dissolve into their own visions if it wasn’t the tiny ant saying simple things like “Take your lunch! It’s getting cold…”, “Don’t forget your coat and umbrella! It’s going to rain…”, “Get out of the sun! It’s too strong today…”, “Don’t forget to prune and water that tiny tree too! All trees are meant to grow even the tiniest ones… They are all part of this forest…” —The persistent cloud said revealing for the tiny ant the same love she felt for the little bird and the luminous woman.
     — Principessa, would you like to visit the Island of Stars with me tonight? —The Restless Rider invited.
     — Well, I think that we’d better stay here just watching… I don’t want to interfere or disturb anything… Let the beautiful things flow freely. That luminous shape is a Light Boat… it sails, it flies and changes shape too… I think it is meant to be for the Lost Sailor and not for us… We’ll keep sailing here in the sky… Did you know that the sea and the sky are twins? So it is the same… We are sailing there and here at the same time… Keep blowing your softest breeze… That’s all that boat needs to keep sailing and flying… And if its light dims a little bit from now and then… all that it will be needed is stopping for some time in the Island of Stars, touch with the soul the primordial seed and sail on through the infinite…
 

Sailing in the Light Boat, photography by São Ludovino.

Light voyagers I, photography by São Ludovino.

Light voyagers II, photography by São Ludovino.

Growing free, photography by São Ludovino.

Growing hopeful, photography by São Ludovino.

Growing stronger, photography by São Ludovino.

 My sky is your sky I, photography by São Ludovino.

Little bird I, photography by São Ludovino.

Bridge of Light, photography by São Ludovino.

Perennial Light I, photography by São Ludovino.

Perennial Light V, photography by São Ludovino.

Perennial Light VII, photography by São Ludovino.

Anchored I, photography by São Ludovino.

 Flying boat I, photography by São Ludovino.

Night in the harbour I, photography by São Ludovino.

 My sea is your sea I, photography by São Ludovino.

Quiet Eden, photography by São Ludovino.

 Pointing the direction I, photography by São Ludovino.

Pointing the direction II, photography by São Ludovino.

 Together in the infinite, photography by São Ludovino.

 Talking to the wind I, photography by São Ludovino.

 Swift voyager, photography by São Ludovino.

 Slow voyager, photography by São Ludovino.

 Tireless voyager II, photography by São Ludovino.

 Suspending time II,  photography by São Ludovino.

 Suspending time III,  photography by São Ludovino.

 Simple life I, photography by São Ludovino.

Fishing time, photography by São Ludovino.

 Curious view I, photography by São Ludovino.

 My streets are your streets I, photography by São Ludovino.

 My streets are your streets II, photography by São Ludovino.

 Sounds from the soul II, photography by São Ludovino.

Light in the forest I, photography by São Ludovino.

 Light in the forest V, photography by São Ludovino.

 Through the walls, photography by São Ludovino.

Sleep serene and warm III, photography by São Ludovino.

Building the Flying Boat, drawing by São Ludovino.

Flying Boat II, drawing by São Ludovino.

 Dedication I, drawing by São Ludovino.

 Carrying the Sun, drawing by São Ludovino.

 Luminous IV, drawing by São Ludovino.

Moving Mountains, drawing by São Ludovino.