I can’t stop seeing stardust on our skin …

A // W // F

“People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains,
at the huge waves of the sea,
at the long course of the rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motion of the stars …
and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.”

— St. Augustine

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I’ve got a thing for ordinary beauty … Maybe you’ve noticed.

You can keep your Cliffs of Dover, your Gobi Desert, your Grand Canyon. There’s beauty there — I know it — but if I’m going to stand in awe of something, I want it to be something I’ve discovered, quietly, out of the claptrap of my everyday life.

Give me — I mean this — the blue feather flashing on the sidewalk.

The broken glass caught in the chainlink, winking in the light.

Give me rainbow swirls in parking-lot oil-puddles … A tangle of fallen trees in the forest … A wreckage of sun and clear air slamming through the rapids,  shattering and spraying and then drifting off into noplace …

That’s the kind of beauty I want.

*

But.

*

Give me my own beauty too — and yours.

Give me flesh and bone, the bass drum of the heartbeat in the jugular. Give me spring air on bare skin, clear water cupped in my palms.

The miracle of your slow smile.

The ordinary wonder of our two shoulders, touching…

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Oh, friend … today, let’s not forget to wonder at that. ❤

30 Comments

        1. Aw, being sick just puts a damper on everything. Hope things turn the corner today and you start feeling like yourself again soon…

          It sounds strange, but I never feel more alive than just after a period of feeling not-so-great. It’s like I realize for the first time how amazing it feels to be well — to be able to breathe freely, enjoy the sun on my skin, think clearly and just be me.

          Wishing you a little of that today! 🙂

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          1. You’re too kind, my friend. Reading your words brightened up my day. Thank you so very much.
            You’re absolutely right. Being unwell makes you realise the importance of breathing in, staying fit and being happy. This is what keeps one going. Simplicity of beauty in this case.
            I appreciate your words. Thank you. 🙂
            Hope you have a beautiful day ahead as well.

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    1. Both, actually. When I’m really in “shooting mode,” out and about for that purpose only, I tend to just see things in black and white on my own… Which is really just to say that I have a high sensitivity for contrast, light and shadow, and when I’m out with the big camera that is mostly what I’m looking for and what I see, regardless of what’s on the little screen on my camera. I work it both ways to keep my eyes limber, seeing. 🙂

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      1. I have not really been shooting more Than snapshots for almost three years, since my brother died…photography is something we shared. I have been I spied lately to start getting back to it and am enjoying the idea of black and white. I think you see things differently and need to look closer. Thanks for your part in this inspiration!

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        1. I can only imagine how hard it must be to have lost your shooting buddy and friend … I’m so sorry. It seems like a beautiful thing for you to begin again, as you feel ready, and perhaps in a new way (like black and white). Your brother would surely be cheering you on!

          Can’t wait to see your images when you begin. Happy for you! 🙂

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  10. I’m abundantly grateful that you share your love and eye for *ordinary* beauty so freely with the world. You remind me to see the transcendence around me every day. What is even more of a challenge, you remind me that there *is* something transcendent in me, too. In each one of us. And, oh, do I need reminding of that!

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    1. Yes!! Oh, Lulu, absolutely … I think there’s a little glory of the Maker in each of us, if we’re willing to take the time to see it. 🙂

      It’s just plain stunning, when you think about it. ❤

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