Kimberly Knowle-Zeller
Ordinary Inspiration
“I would like to write a poem about the world that has in it
nothing fancy.” *
But then
My daughter looks at me with her brown eyes and long lashes
My son puts his hand on his hip and details his latest invention
We shake our arms and legs to a nightly dance party
We watch and marvel at lightning bugs illuminating the yard
But then
The blackberries burst in my mouth, juicy and sour, sun-ripened
Pruned, watered, and cared for by our hands
The cucumbers cling to the trellis and hang like decoration from the mantle
The tomatoes show a hint of red, ripening before our eyes
But then
A text comes from a friend: thinking of you
And the meal I made for a family is delivered
And another mom twirls with my kids in the pool
And I hold another mom’s baby and kiss his red-tinted fine hair
But then
the hummingbird keeps me company with a chirp and a hum
The zinnias and marigolds raise their colors to the sun
The neighbors walk by hand-in-hand
Children wave as they pass on bikes
But then
My kids lean into me and I feel the warmth of their bodies
Book after book we delight in magic and wonder
We read stories over dinner
And trip over books wherever we go
But then
I watch my daughter skip down the sidewalk
And my son run super cheetah speed to catch up
I see small hands searching for rocks at the park
And dandelions picked for bouquets
But then
I look up, and out and around
At this life, here and now, before me —
The sun, the flowers, even the weeds
All miracles, all of it
Nothing fancy, but then
Oh, but then, I see
The world before me is nothing but fancy.
*Inspired by Mary Oliver, of course. This World, Why I Wake Early, 2004
**This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "Ordinary Inspiration".