I used to walk with you amidst the view,

Of trees, with branches stretching high,

Their leaves falling, one by one, to die.

But in the stillness of the moment,

The memories we shared, so poignant,

Of leaves we collected once before,

When I was small and nothing more,

The sound of your laugh still echoes,

As I danced with glee to the music of love,

Whilst the birds fluttered around, carefree,

Mama you held my tiny hand so tight,

Years have passed, and I’ve grown tall,

Your hair turned grey,

Still, the trees stand strong and proud,

As if they knew the memories they allowed.

Now, summer’s here, and once again,

I wish to walk with you,

I reminisce when you used to hold my hand,

I find your favourite hat hanging,

I took a clip and kept it in my heart,

Forever I will cherish, those moments with the trees,

When love and laughter flowed with ease,

For they, like family, will always be,

A reminder of the memories we keep.

As I walk under the giant mango trees, I hear the beautiful humming of the birds, the sounds of the crisp leaves that has fallen on the ground, the roosters that greets everyone good morning and the laughter of the children from a far. I closed my eyes and challenge my deep listening skills to connect with the nature’s music and be aware of everything that surrounds me. After doing so, I find myself experiencing a very deep emotion, I felt calm, sadness and comforted. The environment changed from the time that I can remember it, the trees are bigger that looked like my Mama’s arms stretching out to give me a warm embrace. 

The leaves on the ground reminded me of the family members that had passed, they’re no longer with us on the tree but they left a big impact in our lives. The stillness of the environment and the emotions that I felt during the experience reminded me of Daddiri. I used my deep listening; I wasn’t just hearing my environment, but I was flowing with the movements of the leaves as the breeze brush through the branches of the trees. My senses were awake, I smelt the sweet ripe mangoes, I saw the prop roots dancing, I felt the roughness of the large trunk of the trees. Memories came flashbacks, happy and sad, but I felt grateful.

It states on the article A Reggio-Inspired Music Atelier: Opening the Door between Visual Arts and Music, “Montessori believed that through the manipulation of objects, children could understand physical properties, categories, and important concepts such as colours, sizes, and shapes”. During this experiment, I explored my senses like Montessori’s theory. 

 

I noticed the weaver ants on their giant nest hanging on the mango tree, they crawl around the nest trying to look after each other. I imagined the nest as a giant mango because of its shape and colour. I watched from a far as I didn’t want to disturb the green-head ants. 

Lastly, I held my Mama’s favourite hat, the colours faded blue and white like the skies when I laydown on the roof of our house under the trees. Back then I didn’t know how important that moment was. I remember the calmness, and the sound of my Mama’s voice calling for my name. Though I don’t hear her voice anymore, I still remember the sound of her voice, so soothing and calming. After listening to Victor Wooten, I realised that my Mama’s voice was music to my ears, ever since I was a child, her voice was the music I always look for.