Through the Eyes of a Child

The little boy was on the same steam-boat outing as me.
I couldn't help but notice how long he sat quietly
watching the paddles on the boat churn up the water.
He put up his hand as if to touch the splashing water and left his hand
on the glass a very long time. He could certainly feel the vibrations.

When we look at the world around us as though we were seeing things
for the the very first time,
just like a small child discovers everything around him,
we are able to enter into a state of childlike wonder.

As a child, I remember how shadows were created by sunlight
and how the moving changing patterns fascinated me
allowing me to be totally immersed in the moment.

Just the other day, I poured myself a glass of water when I got up
and stopped to admire the shapes and reflections on the kitchen top work surface.
I thought how beautiful they looked.

Slowing down on my walks allows me to notice tiny insects, butterflies and bees
on the plants and flowers I pass.
It's lovely just to linger awhile and wonder about the sort of life they live.

I notice how a beautiful flower is at the end of its cycle
and how the centre is a source of interest and beauty
once the petals have taken on a more discreet role.

Sometimes the filtered sunlight in the background 
fills me full of awe
before I even notice the pollen-filled centre and the luminous petals of this 
Rudbeckia flower.

***

"To reclaim our childhood wonder, we need a way
 to let go of our judgements and return to a beginner's mind.
How can we do that?
The best way is to let a child teach us.
If you have the opportunity, spend time with a child.
Go for a walk with them and notice how they approach the world.
Photograph the wonder in their eyes."

This quotation comes from the book entitled:
by Kim Manley Ort.

I am reading this book and following the weekly exercises
through my photography.
It is allowing me to pause, focus and connect to all that is around me.

Small Wonders from my Walks

Queen Anne's Lace flower seeds
Enclosed in a perfect cage of stalks.

A thistle head after the flower has finished blooming
so beautiful against the soft background.

Little tendrils of a climbing plant looking for somewhere to latch on
and climb as high as they can go.

A late blooming aquilegia that I lifted gently
to photograph the underside.

Walking in the woods to keep cool on a hot day,
I noticed the dappled shadows of the overhead trees
and how a fallen leaf came to my attention in a sunny spot.
I also noticed two sunny heart-shapes formed by the shadows of the leaves.

A bright poppy growing on the grass verge by the roadside
illuminating my early evening walk.

As I walked up the hill in the early morning, 
I put my camera through some railings to capture some Shasta Daisies
in the long grasses at the far end of a garden.
I do love the wild spots that are dotted everywhere.

Above the rooftops and behind the clouds, the sunrays draw lines in the sky.

This lovely tree-hanging made of stones and a heart-shaped
HAPPY
is a good reminder!
Though when we notice all the little wonders around us,
a reminder isn't really necessary, is it?


The Posy - Scene & Story June 2017

On a bench at the lakeside metro station,
there was a forgotten posy of wild flowers starting to look a little wilted
and very thirsty.

The next metro didn't come for five minutes and nobody came to claim these flowers,
so it seemed the best thing to do was to bring them home,
trim their stalks and give them plenty of water.
They soon perked up in my little fluted vase
and their presence on my small round table
was both joyful and endearing.

I had a feeling that these flowers had been picked by a young child,
the stalks were uneven and broken at all different lengths.
I just hoped that she (or he) didn't go back to look for them...
and find them gone.

If you know the little posy creator,
please will you thank them for me
and show them how their flowers have been loved and well-cared for in my home.
They have thrived and smiled at me for many days.
Every time I looked at them, I thought of you,
the unknown and mysterious posy child!

A tender posy
Quite forgotten on a bench
Found its way to me.

***