To pay attention . . . is our endless and proper work. (Mary Oliver)
Be called to wild places; gather names, welcome flowers—beside the road, through cracks in sidewalks—
miracles on a wooded trail.
Pay rapt attention.
Treasure the bark of remarkable trees; learn a bird, recognize its special voice, distinct from the blur of warbles,
trills, and chirps that saturate its habitat.
Whatever you seek, there it will be.
And if you need a poem, it’s been here—quietly waiting—unadorned, in the shape of wildflowers, scattered
like bread crumbs outlining your path.
Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash