"Anything looked at closely becomes wonderful."
A.R. Ammons
To follow yesterday's talk about suffering, I want to think about something wonderful. The word might be overused, and we might have forgotten its root meaning.
wonder: state of amazed admiration or awe
wonderful: outstanding, amazing, magnificent, breathtaking, astonishing
Mr. Ammons was a fine poet noted for his nature poetry. He looked closely at the natural world... a wave, the bark of a tree, the sand beneath his feet... and found the beauty in it.
But he says "anything" and I think "anything" includes people, and maybe even things we make or situations we take part in. If we look closely enough, so many things can make a person feel awe.
The eye of a fly through an electron microscope is magnificent. That a guy can hit a fastball going 90 miles an hour with a thin stick inspires awe. The ordinary telephone, a plastic device that carries my voice to your ear the instant I speak, is an amazing invention. A painting, a poem, a marriage lasting 50 years, a child's curiosity...
I went around the yard and took photos of some wonderful things, but they're just the tip of the iceberg of stuff around us that can induce admiration if we only look closely...
22 comments:
Wonder-full pictures! The picture of the cats on the daily meditation sidebar are also wonderful.
If we take the chance to look more closely, I think we would find more to be in wonder about! Beautiful pics! (((HUGS)))
EO, these are beautiful. Wow! Thanks for sharing dear!
The average major league fastball blows past a batter at 90mph. My poor brother really thought he was going to make it to the majors until he faced a pitcher who curved the average upward. Nice post. There are wonderful things occurring all around us.
I agree that we can find wonder in so many things, but perhaps it is the wonder that we inject as a curious onlooker, perhaps it is our unique ability to wonder.
The pictures from your garden are wonderful :o) We are blessed here in CA to have blooming flowers in February!
I believe there is good in everything. With the right perspective...the glass is half full. Sometimes, we just have to look a little longer to find the wonderful!
love the pic...awe is there, we just have to look for it...
How true. We often overlook things because we don't slow down or stop. We rush through life in all our busy-ness that we sometimes miss the beauty in all of it.
And the most beautiful part of it? Hitting that fastball. :-)
We had (another) snowstorm today, and I'm admiring the wonder of each delicate flake..
and contrasting it to God's hand in your garden;)
I see things closely because of having studied biology and because of photography. and the smallest things can have the most astonishing beauty. I'm glad that you mentioned the EM photos. Those have always amazed me. Your photos are wonderful.
Your roses have grown so much since your last photo of the little shoots. Wonderful!!! Smile.
Thank you for the reminder that all things are awesome, people, nature, just breathing.
We have a new little 3-month old puppy, and he as a natural wonder. I had no idea it could be this much fun, as well as this much work, but it's worth it. Like a baby.
Secretia
Life is wonderful.
Living is wonderful.
These pictures are wonderful.
God is wonderful.
But not everyting is wonderful. Some things it is better to not look too closely.
A smell of a new baby is wonderful.
Love is wonderful.
I always tell people that God makes our eyesight a little worse as we get older, just so that way when we look at each other we still look wonderful. That's my story and I am sticking to it. Wow when I look at myself in the mirror without my glasses, I sure do look wonderful.
God bless.
It truly is the small things that hold the greatest of hope and awe for me. Your pictures say so much. I am soooooooo ready for spring. Even just a hint of it would tide me over.
Namaste
Your yard is full-of-wonder, just wonderful!
Maybe it IS the little things which count...
I am so jealous.
I thought I commented already, but maybe blogger had a big breakfast this morning! Anyway, I love the pictures and agree with mrsupole!
Beauty surrounds us. Why is it I never really saw until I discovered the digital camera? God has showered us with His wonders. You have captured some of them quite nicely.
I look closely, and am fixated on two poetic themes I've been working on. 1. How shining a light on the truth can bring attention to the darker side, the yin and yang, looking closely and honestly.
Also, 2. How wonder, awe, amazement at the beauty in my day brings me closer to Love, with a capital L, and all those included, be it God, partner, child, dear one. I will post #1. someday soon.
P.S. Your photos are Hot, you are a painter of nature. great composition with the contrast of thorn and bud, familiar daffodile in unfamiliar position....etc etc.
Dear One,
Di
There is so much wonder and beauty in even the smallest of things. Lovely photos.
I can almost touch and smell these. amazing
Your photos are in themselves magnificent poems. I especially love the sprouting of new leaves on the thorny rose bush.
Sigh........such incedible beauty He has created that we so often walk past completely unaware......
M.E.
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