The Rhythm of Now* The snail caught my eye, nestled into the stem of a wilting wildflower. I step closer to take a picture and notice a bee, which had landed in the center of a daisy. As I watch, she takes flight into the field. I set down my phone and venture further into a sea of overgrown weeds, some decaying, others full bloom. Grass vibrates shades of celadon and jade and tickles the backs of my legs. The movement of butterflies, mimosa yellow and cloud white, stills me enough to see the play of light on green as grass sways in the breeze. I relax the focus of my eyes and begin to see myself woven into this infinite dance of life, death, decay, renewal, pulsing in the rhythm of now.
* This poem was originally published in a slightly different form in Pandemic Corona, a collection of poems edited by Pamela Eakins.
Mary Oliver wrote in her poem "Instructions for Living a Life:"
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.
To which I say, Amen.
May we remember that our attention is a precious gift. And may that which astonishes us, from the awesome to the awful, move us to sing out in praise, in grief, and in connection, and remind us that we are, indeed, alive.
With love,
Jennifer