Elizabeth Hansen- The Journey of Gron the Guardian Rock

Found Object:

A small rock shaped like a thumb, reminiscent of a miniature Stonehenge monolith. It is a soft grey/green with swirls of taon on one side and a white quartz base.

In a small dry rock pool on the rocks of Kanomi Beach

High on the hill overlooking Kanomi and the Keppel waters, the circle of magical guardian rocks stand grounded around the Circle of Life.  Each day they are visited by the six spirits of the island.  The Spirit of Fire heralds the dawn, welcoming the sun to their sky.  The guardian rocks receive its gift of warmth.

            The second spirit brings the life-giving water; sometimes as dew but oftentimes as lashing rains, supported by the Spirit of the Wind.  The mother spirit of the rocks, the Spirit of the Sand, protects the guardian rocks from the wind anchoring them in her bed of quartz surrounding the Circle of Life.  The wise Spirit of the Trees and Grasses dances around the rocks, sharing its gift of green.  It is a playful and energetic spirit, sending its family of plants across the width and breadth of Kanomi.

            The most rebellious of the spirits, the Spirit of Creatures, tantalises the guardian rocks with its stories of the wondrous places it visits beyond the shores of Kanomi.  It soars on the wings of the birds and swims with the fish and creatures of the sea.  Its stories delight the guardian rocks.

 One of the rocks, Gron, longs to be free of his task of guarding the Circle of Life. 

"If I could escape for a day, surely the other guardian rocks could manage without me," he muses.  The Spirit of the Creatures is close by and senses his yearning for freedom.  The spirit welcomes someone to share its adventures and seizes upon this chance of a companion.

"Come with me Gron. You simply have to believe and anything is possible."

"How could that be?" asks Gron, "I'm anchored fast to the white quartz.  Even when the rains lash and the winds howl I stand firm with the other guardian rocks."

"I just told you how Gron.  All things are possible if you believe.  We can fly high in the sky with the gulls and swim with the dolphins and fish in the sea."

One of the older guardian rocks has been listening. "It's true Gron that you are free to move if that is truly what your heart desires. We are here by our free will and no law compels it.  But consider first that you will be weakening the circle of protection provided by the guardian rocks."

Gron is so excited at this revelation from the Noble Guardian rock, that he scarcely hears the warning which follows.

"Leaving is as simple as your decision to do so, but returning may not be as easy."

Gron wastes no time in deciding where he wants to be.  As soon as he believes, he feels his grasp on the quartz rock loosening.  He is lifted away from the Circle and finds himself flying with the Spirit.  No longer grounded he is weightless and free.  They visit the Spirit of the Trees, marvelling in the glory of the colour of the plants of the island, and laugh at the Spirit of the Wind as he whispers around them.  Gron is warmed by the sun as he rises higher and higher in the sky and follows joyfully as the Spirit of the Creatures leads him down the hill to the turquoise waters lapping the sands of Kanomi.

            They dive in, swimming with the reef fish and teasing the jelly fish as they swirl around and around with them.  They taunt the reef sharks resting on the coral. 

Gron notices the coral is anchored to the bottom of the sea, just as he had been with the guardian rocks around the Circle of Life. 

            "Come with us," he calls, "you just have to believe you can."

A large brain coral replies, "You ask too much Gron.  To follow you would upset the balance of the Circle of Life.  We would be washed upon the sand with the next high tide and there would be no shelter for the small fish and nowhere for the sharks to rest."

Gron hears the words and is shocked.  He stops, realizing he has left the other guardian rocks to protect the Circle of Life without him.  He loves being free but knows it is time to return.

The Spirit of Creatures senses his change of heart and doesn't want to lose his companion.  "Don't go back Gron, our journey is just beginning and there is so much more to see together."

But Gron knows where he should be and is ashamed his desire for adventure has left the Circle of Life vulnerable.  He ignores the Spirit of Creatures and surrenders to the movement of the waters, willing it to carry him home.  The wind hears his desire and whips the waters to waves, rolling Gron back towards the shore.  He is tossed on the rocks and becomes trapped in a small rock pool.

            Days pass with Gron trapped in the rock, alternating between being tossed from side to side, wearing him away, and bleaching in the heat of the sun when the waters recede with the tide.  The words of the noble guardian rock, ‘...returning may not be as easy,' haunt Gron as he sprawls face down in his rocky prison. He believes he deserves to be worn to sand for leaving the guardian rocks, but the Spirit of the Creatures has not deserted him.  It knows Gron has done no wrong.  Suddenly soft fingers lift him.  It is a woman and she turns him in all directions, standing him gently on the palm of her hand.

            "I know where you belong," she whispers.  She drops him into her pocket, occasionally enfolding him in her fingers, wondering at his warmth, as they journey together.  It takes her less than an hour to climb the hill.  Kneeling, she lifts Gron from her pocket, gently placing him in the space on the rocky outcrop of quartz, beside the other fingers of green rock.

"Home again," she says and she feels a kiss of cooling breeze on her cheeks, the she-oaks sigh and a gull calls a greeting as it passes overhead.

Gron has learned much from his adventure