Finding Beauty in the Ordinary
A catalogue poem.
my writing practice has guided me in countless ways throughout the years,
holding my hand as I walk through this life,
teaching me lessons I never knew I had to learn,
but the most precious of all those lessons
was how to notice the ordinary beauty of this life -
how to find the sacred reverence within the mundane moments
and then allow them to fill me with a sense of peace
and nourishment.
writing taught me how to notice things like::
the spring rain,
as it cleanses the palette,
inviting you to slow down,
and curl up while it
waters the earth,
cultivates the seeds,
and brings new life into awareness.
the sunrise,
from the moment you wake up,
in darkness
until the first golden rays
begin to bring everything into view
caressing each tree,
each car,
the sidewalk,
the house down the block,
the light
illuminating everything
that surrounds you.
the steam rising from
your morning cup of tea,
grasping the porcelain mug,
you cradle your hands
and breathe in the scent of day,
bringing it up to your lips
and upon taking your first sip,
it fills you with
a deep sense of comfort
and a warmth that radiates
throughout your entire being.
the pen and paper,
a blank space, an opening,
a window to your very soul,
a vessel that you get to pour
yourself into –
every thought, every part of you
all living in each word
scribbled onto the page.
breathing.
your breath in and
out, inhale and
exhale, slow and methodical,
welcoming and releasing,
drawing in stardust, the sky,
then surrendering what no longer
serves you.
walking down the street,
one foot in front of the
other, never staying in
one place for too long.
moving through life,
leaving barely visible footprints
behind in your wake,
footprints that slightly alter
the landscape of
this world,
simple because you exist.
laughter
that bubbles up and out of
nowhere, from deep
inside, a release,
a break from tense shoulders, distracting
you from endless worries
so that you may
experience the fleeting
joy that arrives
when you least expect
it.
all of these things so ordinary
in their design,
so simple in their experience,
and yet,
if you look more closely,
if you pause to notice,
you’ll see the sacred beauty
in the way they can carry you
gently, thought this life.
Poem by Gina Kimmel. To read more of her work click here:
