Birds who have flown

THESE BIRDS were originally mystics who have flown out from the cage of their earthly life and into eternity, as sung about by Jelaladdin Rumi. Here in this mandala, they have come to rest in a paradise garden of flowers as rare as the birds themselves. 

But this is no otherworldly paradise; it is the beauty of the natural world when seen by eyes truly open to receive and wonder in its magnificence. And yet, as this glory is recognised and revered by fewer and fewer souls, the eco-system that surrounds us has become fragile now, as fragile and fatigued as the skin of a soap bubble when it starts to break up. This bubble of nature is run through with gaps, which warn us that much of its once abundant beauty will be lost before long. And many beautiful earthly birds will soon have flown away forever.