The Water's Edge:

photography and words

by Clarissa Vincent

2005

A small beach on the River Gambia   Crouching below the hump of the shore I pee in peace, watching crabs waving to one another. Across the creek dense mangroves writhe in privacy, apart from, possibly, a beautiful monitor lizard or, maybe, monkeys. Water laps at my toes as sounds of other people are swallowed by the wider space of solitude.

  For a few moments I can just watch the stream, the pebbles, the waving crabs and say to myself, *This moment at the waters edge is actually all there is in life and all there will ever be. Everything else is posturing. My days are full of plans and aims but none will lead anywhere other than back to some quiet shore, such as this ... If I am lucky that is*. More than anything, the waters edge makes me want to change my heart, to become more like the great river.
©Clarissa Vincent. 2005

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