“Red moon,” he said,
his two-year-old hand reaching for mine
in the dark.
As urgently as my granddaughter
grabbed my arm, earlier that day.
For her, it was the return
of the hummingbirds.
She’d spotted a female
resting on a high branch,
a potential mate preening
his feathers nearby.
Our clothesline, his stage.
Then . . . a flash
of iridescent red,
high-pitched squeaks,
beating wings that
skirted our hair.
Breathlessness
as abandoned homework
danced
on a breeze.
We chased it, laughing.
If not for children
reminding us to be present,
how many miracles of life
would be overlooked?
The insect in a daylily.
Shadows in the woods.
The beauty of a half-dead
Japanese maple tree
clinging to life.
Its unfurling apple-peel like leaves
shimmering in the sun.
Do our heads always need to be down?
Our brains wired and ready
for instant response
to Facebook notifications,
e-mails, texts, twitter updates?
Look. Up.
Find beauty.
Give a child your full,
undivided attention.
And so we set aside homework
to wonder at hummingbirds.
Delayed bedtime
to gaze at a brilliant full moon,
shrouded in a milky
red-and-blue veil.
“Look, Grandma!” he said,
his small hand swallowed
in mine.
Clouds shifted; the moon disappeared.
But not the moment.
The moment of just
being.
He ran down the driveway.
“Moon is gone! GONE!”
I raced after him,
swept him into my arms,
guided his tiny arm toward the sky.
“Watch and wait,” I whispered.
Together, we silently anticipated–
not a ding or a chirp or a tweet—
but the reappearance
of an unreachable golden ball
nestled in the night sky.
A ball my grandson called “Red Moon.”
Yes, we need to be brave
in our writing,
but we must also seek the courage
to be present.
I love how you capture nature in words and on film. :)
Just beautiful…wondrous imagery in words and pictures…thanks for sharing your thoughts! <3
Thank YOU, Marie! The rich descriptions in your writing have always inspired me. xo
Thanks, Kristin!
Always a pleasure to share my photography.
Betsy, since the first time I read something you wrote, I knew you were a gifted writer at heart. Then, in following your blog, through the years I’ve seen the most gorgeous pictures. Your words captivating and moving, and so do your photos. You are, without question—an “artist.” :)
I meant: Your words ARE captivating and moving and so ARE your photos :)
Thanks so much, Donna.