Introspective Lenses 4 Life

Perspective, Perception, and Interpretation

Atop carefully laid foundations,
artfully placed stones rise into shape.
Craftmanship most intricate abounds,
reaching upward, revealing its form.

In September 2024, while immersing myself in the Diocletian ancient architecture of Split, my eyes were continually drawn around and upwards. It was like I was sitting atop my trotting steed on a merry-go-round, time passing without notice of a gathering crowd. With both my Canon digital camera and Samsung phone in hand.

Graced with delicately
hand-carved aging pillars;
strength remains a legacy.
Beneath keystone arches,
hugging sombre-toned sentinels
whisper wisdom, “Look up, perceive.”

Spellbound by the skillful hand-crafted elegance of the stately columns and arches, I sought a quiet spot under a lone arch.

Here,
in solitude,
I stood still.
Then,
I noticed
and
focused my lenses;
perspective.

Looking up, I began to feel an attachment to my surroundings. These mighty remnants of ages past symbolize my life. My perspective changed from outward to inward, as did my perception as I came to interpret what I saw and felt.

Sea-salted breezes, particles cling,
Sentinel-like pillars, rising high
Voices echo in breeze-blown dust.

“What do you see?
What do you think?
What do you feel?”

Gradually, I shifted positions to observe all the arches, columns, and elemental effects as closely as possible while photographing what spoke to my heart.

My life as sheathed by guardians,
both mind and heart, unwrapped.

Is it not incredible how much the naked eye (nature’s lenses) captures?

However, a camera with multiple lenses cannot replicate, to the same degree, the depth, width, and breadth. Yet, my attempts provoke a memory’s emotional connection as I ponder.

It was not until I began looking at my images that the words ‘perspective, perception, and interpretation’ came to me. I stared at the one with four (4) architectural styles, the clouds on one side and the blaring blue sky on the other. I was struck by the differences, the wind-worn effects, and was startled to discover myself reflecting on the experiences of my life.

Then, through my internal lenses for life, a picture forms. I recognize symbolic representations within each element of my photograph and their significance to my way of seeing, thinking, and feeling.

Four structures represent many things, experiences, people, and places.
The remains of adverse conditions develop strength, resilience, scars, survival, and character. Appreciation and peace stand, sometimes braced, to continually hold the arches of my life.

Everything happens for a reason.
Negative or positive, your choice.
Perspective, perception, and interpretation.

© Vicki Nicholls 2024