The Weight of Beauty

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“The sunlight claps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea: what are all these kissings worth, if thou kiss not me?”― Percy Bysshe Shelley

Flowers in bloom swaying in the breeze.
Top-heavy and bursting.
Bending the branch, but not breaking it.
Waving to get my attention.
To break the trance of habit and autopilot.
Simple and filled with wonder.
Show stopper.
A prayer of gratitude for beauty that is cast carelessly and abundantly at our feet daily.
To awaken our senses.
Capture our attention.
Softening our grip on the unnecessary.
To put it down long enough to carry the weight of beauty.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”― Rachel Carson, Silent Spring