The never ending tale of Love and Life.

Is love part of life or life or life part of love? This is a question Philosophers, Authors and actors alike have puzzled over since the dawn of time. Biblical scholars talk of Adam and Eve, Shakespeare writes of Romeo and Juliet even a midsummer nights’ dream refers to mischievous fairies playing cupid. Indeed even the Greek’s believed cupid’s magic could not pass any mortal by.

The reality though is that life is tough people’s inner voice tells us we must care for one another in a loving fashion. It is very interesting to think of our inner child being nurtured by the bosom of humanity because we need to feel love from any source human or machine. The Greek god Aphrodite was the bringer of love and Egypts Cleopatra was said to have many a passionate affair. Shakespeare wrote of love in Romeo and Juliet the classic tale of star crossed lovers while in a midsummer nights’ dream the same theme is explored.

In nineteenth century literature the same theme is explored, Jane Austin wrote Pride and Prejudice while more modern authors of love include Catherine Cookson and E.L. James’ fifty shades of grey and Helen Fielding’s famous Christmas Romance Bridget Jones’ diary. The proliferation of author’s philosophers and play writes writing about love for the insatiable erotic appetite, the Karma Sutra allowing people to explore the inner psyche that longs for warmth and love. I think back to my home land of New Zealand and the beautiful rolling hills of the Wiarappa and the beautiful scenery of lord of the rings and middle earth. The fact my grandmother spun the yarn for the hobbits armour shoes that the love stories woven into the trilogy have supported the tourist industry as tourist’s rein act the scenes of love.

Food is a great supporter of Love. Aphrodisiacs such as Oysters, Chocolate or wild fruit are often written about as precursors to the act of love. Yet perhaps most importantly learning to love oneself as one ages as opposed to feeling guilty about the act itself. The human condition of falling in love poses the question maternalistic between a mother and a child or the animalistic love of two people passionately involved in love making for the first time.

Has the story of human evolution ever been so complex? Romance remains part of the human condition out of war and struggles for peace come love and romance and redemption direct from god. Spies like James Bond find love in dangerous situations illustrated in real life by the perfume affair and shown in movies like the Bourne trilogy or taken.

Real life too has fantastic stories of love conquering all, Joe DiMaggio putting a dozen red roses on Marilyn Munroe’s grave every day until his death. The real life story of a communist sympathiser falling in love with her prison guard, the story is that god’s love is omnipotent and ever present but as the example shows love can prosper out of the darkest of circumstances.

The Roman god Venus reflects Greek’s god Aphrodite but in her partner Adonus a classic tale as Adonus falls for Venus only to lose her after his arrogance sees him killed in a hunting accident. These stories show intergenerational tales of love woven into the fabric of the human condition. Even the natural world where a snow flake is made up of hundreds of ice flakes interacts with humanity as to love is part of the human condition and the source of all life.

Samuel Burch (June 2015)

Rainforest Adventure

It was a wet night in the rainforest when the small TX3 plane landed in the jungle. On board was the famous explorer and botanist Smithson Roberts. His plan was to log new plant forms and monkey species. His hope was to photograph and log images of the notoriously difficult to find spear back ape and also find new strands of plant life that could have medicinal powers.

His bosses back in London were concerned that his work was taking him away from his family life so they decided to help him by continuing his work in a sensible fashion so nobody realised his mistake there were many beautiful sights to be seen in the world Smithson Roberts was a keen botanicalist and believed in the power of solar energy.

The jungle was hot and steamy in the hot midday sun as Smithson Roberts set out from his base camp as his face was covered by a Panama Jungle hat. It had been some time since he had last been in the jungle but he was determined to make the occasion memorable and useful.

Smithson was hacking his way through thick jungle grass when something interesting caught his eye. 

He noticed a dragon winged hummingbird and was immediately stumped as to what to do “Kawoo Kawoo” echoed around the jungle, Smithson had never heard such a strange yet compelling noise and immediately set out to record evidence of such a beautiful and unique species.

He hoped this discovery would put him on the front foot with his bosses back in London and ahead of his mean spirited nemesis Cuthbert Tinkleberry what an arse Cuthbert Tinkleberry was and immediately Smithsons’ heart was filled with pride at his new discovery the one thing wanted but could do nothing about.

His friend and rival Tinkleberry would be arriving in the jungle tomorrow and partly because he welcomed the banter and friendly rivalry Smithson was torn as to bring up the discovery of such a beautiful species of bird (Ornithology) with his nemesis and colleague but honestly he welcomed the distraction from his work.

The dragon winged hummingbird was a beautiful specimen with green and yellow plumage and a long speckled beak its wingspan was amazing when it flew and Smithson Roberts was proud to have logged it for the ornithological guild of explorers.

Cuthbert Tinkleberry was a rude and ruthless explorer who disliked everyone especially Smithson Roberts.  The two clashed upon arrival and red faced Smithson wanted to smash Tinkleberry when he stole his sketch book, all was not well in the jungle. The rivalry had two main effects it made cooperation for the botanicalists guild almost impossible. Tinkleberry was intensely annoyed that a three day journey had cost him the discovery of the new lucrative Dragon Winged Humming Bird. 

He was even more annoyed it was Smithson Roberts who was the direct beneficiary of his misfortune. He decided some sabotage was in order. He decided to thief away Roberts camera to destroy images of the dragon winged humming bird. Consequently the base camp was not a happy place, the air was filled with tension, if this was a boxing match the referee would have to step in after the two fighters would have slogged it out for the full fifteen rounds.

Smithson Roberts was angry when he realised the full extent of Cuthbert Tinkleberry’s treachery, what a swine he was totally alien to the explorers code. I hear you ask how could this be resolved, well that night a strange turn of events would bring both explorers close to the brink of extinction when the pair would come into the contact of an Amazon tribe where the women is king.

Bang Bang the attack came fast at nightfall armour clad fighters of fortune as if sent by Zeus descended on base camp. For the first time ever Cuthbert Tinkleberry and Smithson Roberts would have to act fast and work together if their expedition was not going to be ruined and their lives taken by a ruthless tribe of Amazonian female fighters.

Yet to be honest both explorers were kind of weedy and did not fancy the fight so both agreed the best option was to run so they scarpered through the thick undergrowth of the dark jungle floor. When they finally regained their senses both Cuthbert and Smithson realised the gravity of their predicament for the first time on their expedition they would have to work together if they ever wanted to get out alive. Then out of the blue a miracle happened appearing in front of the two botaniclists came a huge silverback ape came between them and their attackers who scarpered as they were females after all.

The silverback ape was magnificent and it stood tall over the pair of explorers guarding them from attack and for the first time partly out of relieve the explorers realised they could not go on hating each other instead they had to work together to understand make the entire expedition extremely successful making both rich and famous back in England, enough to make both realise any animosity between the two a pointless waste of time.

For now work had to be done not just photographing the dragon winged hummingbird but actually putting rivalries to one side to take blood samples and understand whether it would be one day possible to use the white blood cell platelets to cure disease or to transfer the apes into a breeding programme at London zoo.

The Apes were a magnificent creative strong and solid, they were proud and beautiful creature strong and solid. They were proud and beautiful creatures with black muscle and soft grey fur who roamed the forest like true gentlemen.

On their return to London the explorers were treated like heroes and they were delighted to have had a successful jungle mission. They made lots of money and concluded by setting up a bursary to support the explorers of tomorrow. By the time this was done they retired to cottages in the country and were best men at each others weddings quite a turnaround from careers as rivals