LOOK, STOP, AND LISTEN
The world is naked before you—
a Bacchanal feast worth exploring.
Listen to the hum of the wings
of a cluster of hungry hummingbirds
at your back-yard feeder—notice
the sluggish crawl of a swollen
caterpillar about to metamorphose
into a Monarch butterfly.
Embrace the buds of chrysanthemums
about to bloom into dazzling whites.
And, don’t forget the morning glaze
on a forgotten peanut and jelly sandwich
left on a bench at your bus stop.
Can you appreciate the charm of the cracks
on the cement sidewalks you stand upon?
Every stone, leaf and petal smiles in a silent song and dance—

performed free of charge as long as you pay attention.