Abundance: Fig Photographs

For months now I have been eyeing the fig tree. Various birds, from mousebirds to starlings to cape white-eyes, have massacred some of the figs that were not at peak ripeness yet. This morning I managed to pick a bowl full of peak ripe figs. If you have never had figs so ripe that the skin breaks in your fingers you have never really tasted a fig! I digress. In this post, I share with you some photographs I took of the figs I picked and those still on the tree. The leaves made for some stunning photographs as well. We have been blessed and cursed with very warm weather. For two or three days in a row, it was more than 35 degrees Celcius. I think this led to the figs getting riper as well.

Alongside the photographs, I wrote some philosophical musings I had whilst standing in the garden and witnessing the abundance of figs. Even though the birds have taken so many figs, there still remains an abundance of figs for us. I will post the philosophy musings at the end of the post. Please scroll down to read that section. I also titled each photograph with a rather poetic name. At least, I think the titles add some more depth to what is represented in the photograph. Some of the photographs, to me, scream to have poetry written over them. Alas, I stuck with the musings today. I hope you enjoy these photographs.

(Note: All the photographs were taken with a Nikon D300 and old Nikon NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 AI Lens. My focus was to play with the depth of field or point of focus.)

Dissection

Trio I

Trio II

Remembrance I

Remembrance II

Remembrance III

Deceased I

Deceased II

Deceased III

Crescent

Fingers

Vein/Vain I

Vein/Vain II

Mirage

Cloth

Skin

Outstretched Palm

Marble

Cut

Isolation

Abundance: Some Philosophical Musings

The figs grew in abundance.

Google says as much when you ask for a definition of abundance. I can attest. When the winter rains provide their sufficient watering the summer fruit trees hang heavy with abundance. Abundance. Plentiful. The birds feast and massacre the crops, but their numbers are pitiful in contrast to the abundance of the old trees. Fingers pointing to the sky, palms stretched out, nature provides for an invisible crowd.

Fruit trees want to proliferate their seeds across the earth. Tarring the roads, creating concrete jungles, ample earth covered with hardened earth, how are the seeds to sprout and create the next food forest? Feeding all her creatures, nature suffers under the pressure to keep her abundance afloat due to our destructive nature. Myriad homes stand proudly with covered grounds. "Less maintenance" the capitalists scream from the cement factory. "Plastic grass", the advert lures the tired everyman/everywoman. "Tarred road", the driver requests. Meanwhile the abundance of seed sowing from birds, from winds, from the scattering of rotten food, dies never able to sprout and grow into magical trees feeding the creatures.

I always think about the Native American creed that goes something like, "It is only when the last river has dried up and the last tree cut down that the rich will know they cannot eat their money." At least a sustained fire can heat them up in the cold days, but when the last note of money is burnt, they will feel the cold their money has gotten them. The everyman/everywoman is so tired of working their day job to pay their bills to enrich the rich that they themselves do not have the energy and will to make the earth green again. Why cut the grass when you can "plant" plastic grass that never needs cutting? Why care about composting when every morning the garbage trucks take away the cheap and mass-produced food?

That is a rather depressing thought whilst I stand and eat some of the ripe fig. Birds are keeping an eye on me. I can hear their chirps: "Is he going to leave me some figs?" The tree branches hang low with the amount of fruit. I pick only enough for what I will consume today and tomorrow. If they do not massacre the tree, I will find some more. How sad if these birds and other creatures could not eat these figs? They would starve and wither away. Their droppings that contain the seeds of hundreds of different plants will stop to be spread and the earth will become a desolate place. How is it that we cannot see the fragile system we inhabit? Is it already problematic and the cause of our problems to see nature as a "system"? We can only speculate and get rid of our plastic lawns, tarred roads and cement patios to plant trees and bushes to feed ourselves and the creatures we share this "system with".

Alas, I wake from the philosophical-musing-utopia. With mass production of food and supermarkets controlling supply and demand, we will never feast on tree-ripened figs unless we have one in our neighbourhood. Let us hope that big corporate will not drive through the suburbs to cut down our trees and pull our plants from the earth to force us to buy inferior products from the supermarkets.

Endnote of Hope

Times are still good. No one is (explicitly) forcing us to do anything. The musings went to the dark place without my thinking about it. Sometimes when I write I write these dystopian things. In any case, all the photographs are my own and the musings lies in the fig-induced-thoughts. I hope you have the opportunity to taste some tree-ripened figs. Stay safe, and happy photographing.