The Simple Things A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All matter of things shall be well – T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
Kali and Durga Ma sit on their bronze thrones on my writing desk. A jovial jade
laughing Buddha rests on a small green ceramic box, quartz crystals reflect and
sparkle in the candlelight, and my poetry books and journals are stacked up
against the wall, tucked together and held in place by a stone goddess. My desk is covered with sacred objects, covered with a fuchsia and gold embroidered cloth from India. Saraswati sits on her swan draped in pearls next to me. I am surrounded by beauty.
All of these objects inspire and delight me, so much so that, sitting down to my writing practice, I find myself staring at them, touching and admiring them, talking to them. Sandalwood incense curls through the air; I breathe it in and sip my green tea in its pink and green flowered cup and consider what to write. I had thought to patch together some old essays, but now they feel ancient, written about issues that no longer feel relevant or real. Right now I feel invigorated by a morning cold plunge in a friend’s pool, followed by a hike up the hillside next to our cottage. I don’t feel the urge to take on big ideas or spiritual concepts or the need to make meaning out of anything. I feel content, comfortable in the body, relaxed in the mind. I gaze at the candle flame and notice all the colors in its gentle waving movements—the dark purple at the bottom that covers the black wick, then the orange and bright yellow with a blue edge all around. The flame sits in a pool of melted wax in its metal tea light casing, tucked inside a gold and blue glittery holder. This must be what I am meant to write about today…the simple things that, when observed and admired, reveal a rich beauty and tickle and delight my senses. This is what I am meant to capture in a few words, to remind myself that relaxed observation of what is only enhances the qualities of beauty and awe. If I can be this way at my writing desk, imagine what it would be like to be this way with failures and frustrations, with imperfections and disappointments, with family and friends and co-workers? Imagine what would be revealed to me if I could see deeply into the mystery of each person, each situation, each unfathomable event? What would happen if I simply gazed at the other, no matter how adorable or irritating they were at any given moment, and notice the color of their eyes, the way they did their hair, the texture of their skin, the clothing choices they made, the pain, tiredness, or joy on their face? And what if I could be with all of it, accept all of it, be amazed by all of it? Oh dear, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll start by getting up, turning around and observing what lands in my field of vision. Or, I’ll turn back to my desk and contemplate a little longer, take a sip of tea and maybe write something. Lesley Ball
Jan 14, 2024
|
