Ordinary Charms

Gardening is the handiest excuse for being a philosopher. Nobody guesses, nobody accuses, nobody knows, but there you are, Plato in the peonies.
~Ray Bradbury

It's stressful, trying to figure out how to make necessary change happen. Spending time in nature is a good way to de-stress, and spending time with peonies (and peony poems) is A+

By The Peonies
by Czeslaw Milosz

The peonies bloom, white and pink.
And inside each, as in a fragrant bowl,
A swarm of tiny beetles have their conversation,
For the flower is given to them as their home.

Mother stands by the peony bed,
Reaches for one bloom, opens its petals,
And looks for a long time into peony lands,
Where one short instant equals a whole year.

Then lets the flower go. And what she thinks
She repeats aloud to the children and herself.
The wind sways the green leaves gently
And speckles of light flick across their faces.

The charms of the ordinariness soothe the threat of anxiety.

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Ukrainian Sheep Meets Spring,
downloadable on Etsy
(along with other art)