Rice Paddies

The soothing sound of water bubbling over the step, almost drowning out the distant birdsong, a cool refreshing mocktail overlooking the rice fields of Ubud.

Ducks waddling through the paddies, the rhythmic clacking of their bills as they sift through the silt in search of morsels. The form of an elder, bent forward under the strain of dragging a wide rake through the paddies, reflected in the smooth water along with the palm trees and blue sky. His face etched by the years spent in the fields.

A reluctance to move, so relaxed, so calm, so serene.