Perfect Teaspoonfuls of Creation

Sunny yellow finch 

perched on a coral zinnia- 

for just a moment 

White, pink-streaked petals 

stretching up towards sun's light- 

bloom lasts only days 

Blue body at rest 

still transparent wings outstretched- 

scared off suddenly 

At the horizon

sun in cotton candy sky- 

quickly fades to black 

Take notice of these perfect 

teaspoonfuls of creation.

The other day I was reading a book, Stitches, by Anne Lamott. A phrase she wrote stood out to me and would not leave my mind over the next few days- "perfect teaspoon of creation" (pg. 89) 

Then this morning, I was sitting in my living room when a yellow finch perched on the tippy-top of my orange zinnia. The two vibrant colors were just striking together. It lasted less than a minute but it struck me that this moment was one of those perfect teaspoonfuls of creation. 

Then as I went through the rest of my Sunday, I remained open to noticing these teaspoonfuls. I watched a gorgeous turquoise dragonfly rest for less than 30 seconds on a bush but oh was his color magnificent! I also walked through a garden of blooming lotus flowers and was in awe of their delicate beauty. Their blooms will only last 3-4 days but what an example of perfect creation they are! (Bergen Water Gardens and Nursery is a stunning place to visit and see these flowers in their glory.)

After collecting so many teaspoonfuls today, I knew I needed to write a poem to capture all of the beauty surrounding us each day. So I hope this poem inspires you to take notice of the perfect teaspoonfuls of creation that are all around you.  

Poetry Form: Haiku Sonnet

4 haikus and then a couplet of 5 or 7 syllables
  

The Power of a Sunrise

Along the horizon, a

brilliant

band of orange

breaks

the darkness to a 

new day.

Rising

through pastel purples, pinks, peaches

until it fully

glows.

Flipping woe to

hope

on this beautiful

morn.

Recently, I was able to visit Tybee Island, GA.  It is a wonderful area with beautiful beaches. I am not one who usually rises early in the morning to watch the beginning of a new day but while on vacation I did this twice. 

The first time my whole family woke before 6:00 AM to make it to the beach on time. We quietly walked the block to the beach, found a seat and settled in to watch the artistic work of nature. Watching the horizon, a thin line of glowing orange was a blip on the line of purple sky that met the water. Next, an arc of golden-orange rose above the water pushing into the mix of purple and pink. Then a brilliant orange orb hung in the sky where pink met peach. Finally, the glowing yellow sun rose into the blue and a new day had begun. 

The second time I went alone on our last morning of vacation. This morning the art was a bit different but still stunningly beautiful. Dark gray clouds hovered on the edge of the gray water. No light was shining through at the designated time of sunrise. I sat patiently waiting to see if anything would change. Then as the sun reached the crest of the clouds, orange and gold illuminated the grayness. It continued to rise through a grayish haze tinted very pale pink to baby blue skies. At the end, another fantastic sunny, cornflower blue sky day had begun. 

Watching both sunrises, gave me a different start to those days. It took away any worries or concerns for the day and filled me with hope instead. Seeing the light defeat the darkness made me focus on the light in my days.  Thank you Tybee Island for this life lesson.

Oh, My Smallness

Majestic mountains

soar miles to a summit crowned by clouds.

Oh, my smallness in this world 

- a mere pebble.

Immense glacial walls

sculpt the land for ten thousands of years.

Oh, my smallness in this world

-a mere millisecond.

Pure awesomeness of God’s creation

accentuates my humble humanness.

Oh, my smallness in this world

- a mere inhabitant.

I recently had the privilege to sail Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. As I sailed farther and farther into the bay, I realized my smallness in comparison to the ultimate grandness surrounding me. The Park Ranger accompanying our ship made a comment about how we were sailing back in time. I felt this way as we passed mountains and glaciers that have been part of this Earth for more years than I can imagine. This was pure wilderness as no humans inhabit this area. There was a quiet hush as many passengers stood in silence honoring the amazingness around us. 

As humans, we believe that we are the BIG thing on this planet. More important than anything else on our Earth. But, being here makes you notice how small we really are. The Earth can survive without us and will continue on past our smudge of a lifetime.  We should be humbled by      this and take care of our planet that provides for our lives. 

Repeating….Repeating….Repeating

Silently rolling,

        and growing,

                    CRESTING,

        crashing, roaring

    retreating,

repeating…

                            Silently rolling,

                                   and growing,

                                              CRESTING,

                                   crashing, roaring

                                retreating,

                            repeating…                   

Silently rolling,

        and growing,

                    CRESTING,

        crashing, roaring

    retreating,

repeating…

                            Silently rolling,

                                   and growing,

                                                CRESTING,

                                    crashing, roaring,

                                 retreating,

                            repeating…

repeating…

                    repeating…

                                        repeating…

                                                          repeating…..

While on vacation at the beach, I was mesmerized by the beauty and music of the waves. They are so meditative with the continuous repetition of building, crashing and retreating. There are small moments of silence right before the next breaking roar of the oncoming waves. Sitting in the sun, watching the sunlight dance on the highest peaks of the waves was pure beauty. The water looked bedazzled! Each wave seemed to wash ashore more and more peace and relaxation and pull the worries and stress back out to the sea. So grateful for these days of relaxing by the ocean.

With my poem,  I tired to capture that meditative feeling through the use of repetition so I can carry this moment with me when I am away from the ocean. 

Refracted and Reflected Hope

Refracted and reflected sunbeams      

Arcing delicately across the grumpy, grayness

Instant bursts of magical color

Nature’s way of making humans stop, stare and smile

Bride of rain

Offering hope

Worried world remember the promise of God

I had the pure delight the other night of seeing a large rainbow after a couple of days of grayness. I was driving home through changing weather- big, plonking raindrops one minute and then the next bright sunshine through some puffy white clouds. In my head  I whispered, “Could there be a rainbow?”. Then I came around a bend in the road and saw the beam of colors gloriously in front of me.  Instantly, I smiled and felt joyful. I grabbed my phone and tried to grab a photo before it disappeared (I was not driving). When I arrived home, all over social media were similar photos of this rainbow. This phenomenon of nature delivers moments of bliss to those who observe it. They also offer hope of beauty after darkness. Rainbows help keep our awe of this world alive. 

A Poetic Round of Seasons

The summons-

winter wildflowers

waterfalls frozen in a moment.                                 

                

The birds SANG!-

two season intertwine

guardians of Spring's door.

Skyscrapers in the woods-

dance of joy

Spring serenade.

Small masterpieces-

golden warrior

the knowledge of trees.

Love in the lilacs-

Comforting coo

Beauty, gratitude, peace.

                                                                                                           Ombre blue-

innocence

stillness' illusion.

Summer lights-

embrace or wither

a square of sunshine

jewels of a storm.

Flowers= memories and smiles-

some love for shade

am I that acorn?

Caught in a glance-

beams of heaven

summer slips to September.                                                                                                               

Reiterate wishes-

behold the beauty

nature= truly me.

The beauty in an ending-

fading mask

maturing to let go.

Bathing in a forest-

beautiful or horrific?

shining delight- December sunlight.

                                                                                                    

A whispered wish-

triggered transformation

accumulating quiet.

                                                                                                        Beautiful winter blues-

a cry unfrozen

a poetic round of seasons.

I honestly can't believe that I have been posting to this blog for a year. The first post was February 15, 2021. I have walked and written through all four seasons. I hoped to have captured the beauty that nature possesses during the changing seasons in my words and photos. 

The above poem is a Found poem.  I just took the titles of my blog posts in order and the above poem is the result. I was surprised at how well the titles could flow from one to the other- well,except- Am I that acorn?

I want say thank you to...

• you, the reader. I hope you have enjoyed the posts and experiencing the awe the can be found in nature.
• Jen Knight Laffin for inviting me to Time to Write and Teach Write. You made me be able to say- I AM A WRITER! Your coaching was so valuable to me. It made me be able to put my words out into the world.
• Donnetta Norris and Teach Write for offering courses that helped me develop as a writer and specifically how to begin a blog. Donnetta - you were a wonderful teacher!
• Greg and Felicia for going on hikes with me in all types of weather. 

Thank you for reading through a year. I hope that you will continue to check in with this blog. I will keep walking, writing and sharing. 

Beautiful Winter Blues

 

Cerulean pool

Deep depressions bloom in snow

Colors of the light

While out snowshoeing last weekend, I noticed one of my favorite winter phenomena- BLUE snow! In the holes made by ski poles, blue light glowed out across the endless white field before me. It looked like blue flowers blooming in winter. (This photo is truly what I saw last weekend! There are no filters applied. I don’t think the photo does it justice. It was much more beautiful and awesome.)

So I came home to investigate how this happens. It doesn’t happen all the time so I was curious. To paraphrase from an article on Webexhibits.org- Sunlight is white light. As sunlight penetrates deep snow, red and yellow light is absorbed  and filtered leaving the blue light. Deeper snow filters out more of the other wavelengths. That is why we see blue when we look into the depressions. 

The beautiful blues of winter!

Triggered Transformation

 

32 degrees

triggers transformation.

Oxygen atoms plus the four nearest hydrogen neighbors

bond in a rigid lattice

stretched with openness,

as a paper thin sheet of frozen crystals

encrusts

the pond. 

I was walking a trail the other morning, actually one of the only mornings below freezing that we have had this year, when I was stopped by the beauty of the sun reflecting off the ice (it also has been pretty gray around here).  It just made me stop and notice one of the beauties of winter that cannot happen in any other season.  

Then it made me wonder- how does ice really form? how can it form such a thin layer?  I went home and googled more information about how water turns from liquid to solid. It is a pretty amazing thing that happens with this liquid becoming less dense as a solid. The new learning I had inspired the poem above.

I love how a simple walk caused a wonder that brought me new learning and understanding. 

Behold the Beauty

Dapples of burgundy

Swishes of gold

Daubs of ruby 

Brushes of orange

Splashes of chestnut

Shades of emerald

Framed by pond and sky

- an autumnal masterpiece to behold.

I am in awe every autumn when surrounded by the amazing foliage of Western New York. It is my favorite season in part due to nature’s artistry.

I stood looking out across the pond and felt like I had been dropped into a framed landscape in a museum. The colors were so vibrant with various hues highlighted by the sun’s rays. The pond and sky were a natural frame to the spread of trees before me.  I just stood and admired for many moments.

I wanted to capture this view as a reminder of the season’s beauty. I used my camera to snap a photo or two but these images do not do the scene justice. The human eye can see the real beauty.

So if you live where the leaves change color, go outside, look around and behold the beauty!

Beams of Heaven

Beams of heaven                                                          

streak through the evening clouds                

illuminating our country's flag

as it furls and unfurls 

at half-mast

in the gentlest of breezes.

Making me 

pause,

pray,

honor,

thank

the 13 heroes lost in duty.

Sometimes moments that occur in nature make you just stop in your tracks and notice the awe around you. 

This happened to me a few nights ago. I was with a group doing yoga outside at a park. While doing various poses, I was noticing the beauty of the sky- the cloud formations, the various hues of blue. 

Looking up at one moment, the sunbeams were streaming through the clouds and landing on our flag. Parts of the flag were brightened by this light as it waved in the subtle evening breeze. I just stopped.

I really stopped doing yoga with everyone else. It seemed to me that heaven was reaching down through those clouds to welcome home the 13 heroes lost in duty in Afghanistan and to offer comfort to our country. I offered up gratitude for the freedoms I have and for all the military that have stood up to defend these. 

This natural moment of sunbeams falling to earth helped me deal with the emotions of our tumultuous world. I hope it can do the same for you.

Caught in a Glance

 

    

Vivid orange flicks through

my field of vision.

Following it to my right,

3 monarchs in flight.

My field of vision-

wildflowers blooming all around

large and small butterflies are found.

Following it to my right,

A butterfly perches on thistle

with its proboscis unrolled into the bristle.

3 monarchs in flight,

a delicate graceful dance-

How lucky was I to catch this in a glance.

This Sunday afternoon I decided to go for a walk along a trail that I hadn’t been to in awhile. Upon arrival, I noticed the field was full of blooming wildflowers. I figured it would be a treat to wander the trail through these alone. I didn’t know that I would be treated by nature to so much more.

A few minutes into the walk, something bright orange flew through my field of vision. I looked and saw a monarch fluttering around. Then another one came and joined in the up, down twisting dance.  Then to my amazement a third one joined in the game of hopscotch from flower to flower.

Now, I have seen monarchs many times before but a few things stood out of the ordinary this time. First was the vibrancy of their orange. I don’t know if it was the angle of the sun or the background of greenery but they just glowed. It simply was stunning! (I know that this time their color was brighter and deeper because my husband commented the same thoughts that I had been thinking,)

Second, I usually see one monarch flying on its own and then pausing to eat on a flower. This time the dance of flight of 3 monarchs together was joyful. I couldn’t help but stop and smile as you saw them playing together in the sunshine.

As I continued down the path, I thought my butterfly encounter was done for the day. Then I rounded a curve in the path and came upon a batch of thistle. Sitting on a tip was a black and yellow butterfly gently opening and closing its wings. I took tentative steps forward hoping to get a closer look. The butterfly’s proboscis was unrolled and moving up and down as it sucked up nectar. It was amazing to just be still and watch a butterfly feed. 

This trail gave me experiences with nature that I was not expecting today. The butterflies were the joyful ones. (I’ll save the tales of frogs and baby chipmunks for another day.)

Poetry Form: Trimeric (a poem with 4 stanzas, the first stanza has 4 lines, the other 3 stanzas have 3 lines, the first line of each stanza is a refrain of the corresponding line in the first stanza)

Jewels of a Storm

 Glistening raindrops 

Resting on broad hosta leaves

- jewels of a storm

These past weeks have been filled with so much rain. Every single day this precipitation falls from the sky dampening summer plans. No hiking the mountain today- severe thunderstorms on the way. Cancel the soccer game because the field is a swamp.

I was feeling a bit down as the raindrops fell for about the 8th day in a row. When was this going to end and the summer sun return? 

After a bit of time, I looked out the window and was shocked to see sun! I went out my front door to relish in the rays. I looked down and paused in awe. The raindrops were clinging to plants and glistening across my garden. It looked like a fairy had sprinkled some magic over my plants turning raindrops into diamonds. This sparkle of the reflecting sun reminded me that beauty can be found after days of gloom. Those jewels of the storm were a treasure found.

This seemed to be nature’s reminder to me that beauty can be found in unexpected times and places. Just keep your eyes open!

 

Ombré Blue

                                                               

Nature’s palette from sea to sky…

Steel blue waves crest and fall

Baby blue graces the horizon

Cornflower deepens the view

Azure brightens and heightens

Cerulean crowns the sky in full bright glory.

A walk along the lake today brought a stunning view of the water and sky decked out in various hues of blue. The lake grounded it in a dark steel blue as the waves met the shore. Then the palest of blues was at the horizon. Then ombre of blue continued to the top with deeper and vibrant tones. It looked like a painting with the subtle passing from one hue to the next. It was truly beautiful!!

Often times people will say- the sky is blue today. Well, which blue sky are you seeing? Which mood of blue is nature’s character that day?

Next time you hear that, please pause and take a moment to soak in that blue. Can you give it a more specific name than just blue?

Beauty, Gratitude, Peace

Cumulus clouds drift

Patches of blue dot the sky

Aged Red pines tower

Sunlight streams through coarse needles

Peace, beauty and awe abound 

My mouth literally gaped open.

I looked like the emoji 😮.

I was laying on my yoga mat gazing up at the sky. As I realized the trees formed a heart, I was astounded. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

I remained motionless for minutes. Just watching the clouds, the blue and the sunshine dance across the window of sky. It was a living canvas with changing colors, brightness and mood.

The beauty brought awe.

The awe brought gratitude.

The gratitude brought peace.

What a lovely way to being a weekend!

(Yes- this is a REAL photo with no filters. Just my true view that morning in May.)

Poem form- Tanka (5 line poem with the syllables of 5-7-5-7-7) 

Small Masterpieces

 Breathtaking

delicate

bright beauty

Canary

and eggplant

inked petals

Designed

by strokes of

God’s paintbrush

Recently, I took a tour of Phipp’s Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA. There were many gorgeous flowers and plants on display.

But when I came across these beauties, I stopped in my tracks. I was in awe of the deep purple designs on each petal. It seemed like they were drawn by hand. It was hard to believe that this is just how these flowers bloom. Pure masterpieces of nature!

Still, when I look at this photo, I continue to be in awe of these detailed, beautiful blooms. 

Poem form: Tricubes

3 stanzas of 3 lines of 3 syllables each