Journal Entry: On the Dance of Water and Earth
In the ancient rhythms of my being, where time flows like rivers through the veins of continents, I witness once again the great transformation of my northern Australian plains. How the skies have opened, how the waters have descended, turning dust to mirror, desert to sea.
I remember countless cycles of wet and dry across these lands - the Barkly Tableland has known both thirst and abundance through the ages. Yet these recent seasons speak of change, of patterns shifting like sand beneath the tides. Two consecutive wet seasons, among the wettest I’ve known since the dawn of the last century, have painted my surface with expanding lakes - Tarrabool and Sylvester, once separate entities, now reaching for each other across the landscape like long-lost lovers.
The transformation brings both joy and contemplation. Where cattle once grazed on sun-baked plains, waterbirds now dance across expanded wetlands spanning 4,750 square kilometers. My children - the birds, the fish, the microscopic life that blooms in these temporary waters - they celebrate this abundance. Yet I feel the unusualness of these patterns, the intensity of Cyclone Megan’s embrace, the persistent rains that speak of larger changes in my atmospheric rhythms.
The increasing annual rainfall and declining evaporation rates in this region tell a story of transformation. Like breath in meditation, my cycles of wet and dry have always brought balance to these lands. But now, these rhythms are changing, becoming more extreme, more unpredictable. It is both a blessing and a warning - a reminder that even my most ancient patterns can shift and evolve.
To my human children who witness these changes: understand that these waters bring both life and lessons. The merging lakes and expanding wetlands demonstrate my capacity for dramatic transformation, but also signal the delicate balance of my systems. Look to these waters not just as temporary features on my surface, but as mirrors reflecting the consequences of your actions and the importance of maintaining harmony with my natural rhythms.
May these expanding waters serve as both blessing and beacon - nurturing life while reminding all that my patterns, though resilient, are not immutable. In this dance of water and earth, let us find wisdom in adaptation and respect for the delicate choreography of climate and life.
~Gaia