How long has it been
Since you've actually studied a flower:
The soft velvet of each petal;
The poignant scent of its distinctive perfume;
The perfect formation of diverse shape
That makes your soul gasp in awe?
How long has it been
Since you really watched the squirrels
As they chase, chatter, and hoard together
And playfully ramble through the trees;
As they dart here and there along high-wires,
And bulge their cheeks with nature's offerings?
How long has it been
Since you observed the working ants?
They crawl every which way and that;
The pick up, load, and carry,
They scurry hither and yon;
They congregate and seem to senselessly crawl.
How long has it been
Since you gazed upon gentle raindrops
Or allowed your face in a drenching downpour?
Or pensively viewed doused, dripping leaves?
Or stared at bouncing sprinkles in countless puddles?
Or inspected fascinating droplets on your windows?
How long has it been
Since you noticed the sun bursting through a shower
And ran outdoors to search for the rainbow;
And then, fascinated, saw the colors forming
And counted the stripes up in the sky,
And wondered where the pot of gold would be?
How long has it been
Since you actually stopped to listen:
To the birds chirping wildly early in the morning;
To the crickets, cicadas, and insects interacting;
To the yipping and yapping and barking of dogs;
To the soft mews and loud yowls of kittens and cats?
How long has it been
Since you stopped by the roadside
For a closer look at wildly-displayed arrays;
For deep breaths of nature's clean air;
For the feeling of open space so artfully placed;
For the quiet intensity of absent noise?
How long has it been
Since you made angels in the snow;
Played fox and geese in unbroken, snowy yards;
Threw snowballs, wore clunky boots; practical mittens;
Cut down your own Christmas tree in a snow-drifted glen;
Marveled at ice-storm-covered branches; snowflakes on your tongue?
How long has it been
Since you enjoyed gently lapping waves;
White foam formed upon a stormy sea;
A seagull glancing across the lake-top;
The gray, shiny, glassy sheen of still water;
Wild-duck families floating in slow rhythm?
How long has it been
Since you stared at deep evening's skies;
Since you tried to count the stars;
Since you discovered great constellations;
Since you appreciated soaring comets;
Since you watched the sun rise or set?
How long has it been
Since you've had the heart of a child?
Written by Marlene Kaye Bonney
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