Wondering
I’m not as filled with wonder as I should be,
I mean, fireflies — crazy! —
floating along toting their own lanterns,
or the locust tree with its clusters
of menacing spikes
protruding from the trunk
an evolutionary device
to keep the giant sloth of the near ice age
from harvesting its sweet fruit.
Must familiarity bleed out
all amazement? A dozen steady blinkers
on the lawn no more wondrous
than a stop sign? The thumb as mundane
as the arcing stream from a public water fountain?
I’m not sure what’s made me blind,
some trick of the mind, some disease of our era
from which none are immune —
if I were to tell you there is one moon
and one sun, would you look skyward agape,
or stand there and yawn?
14 thoughts on "Wondering"
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Yesss, I love it! The world is chock-full of wonder if we pay attention!
I love the tone of this poem and, of course, the message. You include yourself in the scolding which evens the playing field for us. This question is pivotal:
Must familiarity bleed out
all amazement?
Love learning about the spikes on locust trees. I was surprised by a baby yesterday that was all curiosity and wonder.
Wonderful poem, your voice is distinctive
This is full of great rediscoveries. I definitely take my thumbs for granted. I first read agape as a-gah-pay, too, but it kinda works either way, ha. Thanks for sharing!
Exactly right. As a street photographer, I always look for the ordinary thing that, from the right angle or in just the right light, is extraordinary.
It IS a wonder that we lose our wonder. I love how you laid this out – the fireflies, locusts, singular sun and moon, the yawn.
Let me just take a moment today to tell you.
Well I just lost the words.
Your poems amaze me.
Likewise.
Love the question you pose, and the wonders detailed,
Thank you for the reminder about how easy it is to lose that wonder. Enjoyed this poem.
Bill this is wonderful brother. I must confess I still look at a hand, or the lines in a palm, and absolutely fixate to the point of flipping out in technicolor. But this comes and goes. You said you sometimes see the thumb as mundane as the arcing stream at a fountain, the whole poem has detail. Bravo dude. But the sun and moon don’t fool anyone. That’s neat!
Must familiarity bleed out
all amazement?
That’s a wonderful & wonderfully-put question. I find I must alter my mindset to see that wonder, so to speak, but if I am able to do so, the universe comes alive for me.
Also love the question at the end.
Love this!