Sometimes it saddens me,
All the trees that never get climbed.
Branches beckoning but no bodies are willing.
Or the choir of Rice Krispies,
Singing heavenly harmonies in their chorus,
But so few of us listen to their Snap-Crackle-Pop music.
I lament the long forgotten crayons,
Languishing in dark drawers while masterpieces await.
And what a waste!
When big fat juicy snowflakes fall and not a single tongue takes the time to chase them.
And I think about all the neglected nostrils with inadequate stimulation.
They’re like overlooked orphans in an old-school institution,
We don’t pay much attention to the rich smell-scape of our everyday lives.
We deprive our noses cause we won’t slow down for an intentional sniff.
They only acquire accidental whiffs when a wide world of scents is waiting to be inhaled:
Fresh cut grass, old leather,
Whatever’s on your plate for dinner,
Linen sheets straight from the dryer or sheets of old paper.
The smell of transformation in your toaster,
The air right after rain has fallen,
The lotion on your hands,
The plants in the park.
And have you noticed…how many carpets are never caressed by toes.
Maybe trampled barefoot but never touched tenderly.
They long to be intimately explored by human skin,
Want to find feet that will take pleasure in their texture.
And I suspect similar feelings would be found in other types of ground:
Grass, vinyl, sand, rock
Or wherever else you might walk.
And it hurts how many hopscotch chalk games get passed by unplayed.
Washed away in the rain,
After a brief existence of watching busy people rush by.
I think it’s a pity that so many poor pairs of lungs only get breaths that are shallow,
Even though deep inhales are absolutely free.
And until there’s an injury,
So many parts of our body get forgotten.
So often we only pay attention when they hurt.
But why wait to appreciate?
Today is a great day to thank your healthy elbow.
And did you know that every day millions of warm showers are taken…for granted.
Often taken in silence. No songs sung, no soapy serenades.
These warm cascades from above surely deserve some musical love!
What a tragedy when appreciation isn’t spoken,
Thankfulness is kept hidden,
or love doesn’t get expressed.
When our chests are bursting with well-wishes that never escape the lips.
And it’s a missed opportunity every time a burning candle remains an unexplored ecosystem:
A mini ocean made of wax that attracts no curiosity,
With air bubbles, popping up periodically,
like tiny volcanoes erupting under the sea.
And the molten liquid is constantly in motion,
With convection currents flowing to and from the flame.
Small particles surf and tumble through the thermal tides,
And I love to watch their wild rides.
It’s a bummer the sheer number of LEGO blocks stuck in boxes,
Or left unloved in bins.
Plastic bricks that are sick from their unfulfilled dreams,
Longing to be assembled into their next incarnation.
And why don’t more sunsets get standing ovations?
It’s heavy, the fact that rocks are unable to resist gravity,
And how few are given the opportunity to be stacked into a tower.
Balanced vertically, one on top of the other,
Stretching towards the sky, defying everything that’s pulling them down.
But sadly the majority of stones are stuck on the ground.
And there are so many guitar strings that never get strummed,
Drums that never get banged.
It’s bit depressing, how little dancing emerges when music is playing,
How few moves manifest into reality
Because someone’s mind is afraid of someone else’s eyes.
The rhythm cries for a conduit,
The beat begs for a body to animate,
It is eager to donate delight.
Life is like a fire hose of opportunities,
So let’s open our eyes and our noses,
Untie our laces and expose our toeses.
There are more moments than one person could possibly breathe in,
More oxygen than one pair of lungs could contain.
And one human brain can only handle so much sensory info.
So no shame and no pressure for our radars to capture every single blip.
This poem isn’t a guilt trip,
Or a perfectionist to-do list.
This is a reminder of all the wonder that’s on offer,
An invitation to engage more fully and drink more deeply.
Life is overflowing with incredible possibility,
There are beautiful things itching to be noticed
And this journey is just waiting for our footsteps.
