After many days of summer rain
the sun shines
and we all head off for a drive
to Glenariff forest park.

Our walk brings us
up the steep slopes of the glen
where cerise heather
and tiny blueberries
line our path.

We arrive at the top
panting and out of breath
and stand for a few minutes
to enjoy the view –
blue skies,
sloping, narrow green fields
dotted with sheep,
blue sea twinkling
in summer sunlight
and, away in the distance –
Scotland.

A Guinness-coloured stream
churns and gushes beside the path
for only a few yards
before disappearing from sight
over the cliff.

Such a pity –
this gurgling stream was so pretty!

Then I realise
that I’m looking at this
the wrong way round.
This isn’t the end of a stream –
it’s the beginning of a waterfall!

Lord,
so many things happen in life
that simply don’t make sense to us.
Could it be
that we need to look at them
from a different angle
so that we can see breath-taking waterfalls
where others only see a stream
that disappears from sight?

© Claire Murray, 17th July 2020