lately

. . . Sometimes I dream
that everything in the world is here, in my room,
in a great closet, named and orderly,

and I am here too, in front of it,
hardly able to see for the flash and the brightness-
and sometimes I am that madcap person clapping my hands and singing;
and sometimes I am that quiet person down on my knees.
― Mary Oliver, Something

Lately I have been that quiet person down on my knees. Not in depression or anxiety or fear, but in quiet. Listening. Writing. Praying. Dreaming. I’ve only recently begun reading Mary Oliver this last year, but somehow I find my soul regularly licking the substance and beauty of her words like that last bit of chocolate left on the bowl’s edge. Needless to say, I highly recommend her — chocolate mouth and all. As for the rest of our days around here, we have kept about our typical business learning through books and play; only with our recent Spring-like weather, we’ve added a few more walks or bike-rides into our routine — exploring the brave new life forcing its way through Winter’s barrenness — and have managed to daily cover our large kitchen table with paper shards and markers and glue in preparation for Valentine’s Day next week.  I know that although I feel quiet, our life right now is rarely quiet.