The Beauty All Around

It's the sound of church bells 

in the middle of the week, 

a purchase that rings up

to a round number,

a bird flying alongside your car,

the first breath of ocean air

when you arrive at the coast,

a baby's smile from

behind a pacifier.

Or maybe you see a man

with headphones singing and

dancing his way down the street

as you wait for the light to turn green,

or a hummingbird that takes a drink 

from your feeder, then buzzes over

 to the glass door 

to greet you before it flies away.

It's secretly witnessing the sincere smile

of a loved one when they are

absorbed in something they find amusing,

or receiving an invitation from a friend

you haven't seen in awhile.

It's  a 'thank you' in the mail,

an unexpected compliment

when you're feeling blue,

the sound of light thunder

and steady rain in

the middle of the night,

or the look of pure joy on a dog's face

as the wind hits his

face through the car window.

It's wrapping your freezing hands

around a hot cup of coffee

or hot chocolate,

walking into an air-conditioned

building when it's unbearably

hot outside,

 looking up to a pink sky,

a full or crescent moon

on a clear night,

or the heavenly sight of

sun rays shining down

brilliantly through the billowy clouds,

or a bright red bird singing

its happy song from a treetop
 outside your window.

These magical, miraculous,

phenomenal, breathtaking, astounding,

magnificent, extraordinary things

are always around you, above you,

in front of you, beside you, and within you,

 even (and probably especially)

when you are in the midst

 of your darkest storm.

All you have to do is look.

"There's beauty all around you. All you have to do is look." ~Darin Poovey

Day 28