Oftentimes when I hear teachers speak in poetic language, I long to immerse myself in their presence. I wish I too could quote lines from poems with ease. I was curious how these magnetic speakers do this. Do they recite poetry on a daily basis? Do they memorize lines for speeches they can access with ease? Or are they just blessed to have the poetic gene in their bodies?
Yet I began to understand that the essence of poetry is noticing the small things. Simply noticing.
It’s putting out a hummingbird feeder, stopping what I’m doing when I see one fly by in the corner of my eye, and watching hummingbirds land to take refuge in their sweet meal.
It’s wiping the folds of my French bulldog’s face after coming in from a walk in silence so I can be totally present.
It’s finding comfort in a soft cozy yellow blanket I’ve had for years, while I sit on my couch and read, as my dog snores at my feet.
It’s delicious satisfaction after eating a Swiss piece of chocolate paired with coffee.
It’s taking time to notice the changing hues of the sky during the sunset each night from my balcony, which on a clear night also offers the cinematic view of the Santa Monica mountains.
Paying attention is poetry. And it’s accessible to us all. What poetry is arising with you today?
I started out wanting to write great poems, then wanting to discover true poems. Now, I want to be the poem.
It Only Takes A Smile 