Pay Attention

Pay attention
to what card is being played
to the dull screeching drone of cicadas and the far off yips of coyotes
to the sweet tart flavor of lemonade summoning your deep-seated saliva to meet it
as the beveled edges of ice cubes chime and chink against the drinking glass
and the last tinge of sunset kisses the horizon when the first star at dusk emerges
as the sky fuses to intense teal, merging upward to a cobalt before a dark navy dome…

Be mindfully alert
to each presentation of beauty and grace
like the pine needles floating as pontoons on the lake, catching colorful leaf litter
or the bold, brassy morning light as it crashes in when the blind is snapped up
or the taste of crispy bacon on peanut butter toast, at once crunchy and melting
or the rumbling purr of a turbo engine manually shifted over hills and around curves
or the creaking timbers of the trees bending over in the storm only to boomerang back…

Consider with awareness
how orange and blue complement each other, reciprocally improved by proximity
how delicious the gentle breeze feels after a downpour clears away the humidity
how boiled wool is tight and interlocking in an impermeable shield of warmth
how when we respectfully recycle resources, less waste occurs
how precious a newborn baby is, so needy with flailing arms and demanding cries
or how dog-eared a superb book can become, more valuable with each reading…

Notice each nuance
how the silken lyrics slither serpentine over the pounding beat
how fog looks periwinkle when yellow fall foliage is lit up luminously in front of it
how to fold the intricate origami pattern to make a 3D creature from a flat paper
how the still green grass at first frost is neither hopeful nor resigned
how a hot croissant takes butter like an inspired idea soaking in
and how everything resolves in the longest view…

Observe with gratitude
every opportunity to express love and compassion
each considerate thought and overture of others
the door held open, the nod and smile, kindness and consideration manifest
kindred aspirations mingling in the mutual making of a world
needs are met, learning is accomplished, essential harmony harnessed and amplified
and wow, what wonderful a blessing shoes can be…

Consciously scrutinize
what is particularly special in your longing heart
and what you need to do to feel alive, actualized, satisfied and complete
as the hummingbird hovers in mid air with wings all a blur
as a baseline chord supports layers of melody until it becomes a consonant fugue
as a monarch butterfly migrates over the globe to be at home wherever it is
as the reflection in the water praises what is above it with faithfulness and awe…

Heed with contemplation
how incessant and perpetual and continuing and relentless such a list can be
how everywhere you turn, each impression and experience is saturated with good
how exceptional every moment is within itself, there for the plucking and plundering
how enormous and infinitesimal our appreciation can be, ever at the ready
a constant stream flowing onward, gaining volume and breadth as it hurtles to the sea
only to become a cloud that rains down elsewhere, bursting undiminished.

by Polly Castor
11/10/14

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