Big Tiny Things

Some people talk about
their Bucket-Lists.
All the places they want to go,
sights they want to see,
things they want to do
before they die,
before they kick the bucket.
Mine seems to be
more of a Thimble List.
Take this morning,
sitting in my chair,
tending to email and
a daybook of quotes,
I happened to look up.
And there!
On the wall!
A mirrored tabletop,
reflected…
shadows of objects
on the tabletop,
mirrored, too…
sunlight streaming
through a prism,
daubing the wall
with iridescent light.
How could I know
I wanted this moment,
these reflections,
these shadows,
these daubs of light?
Ephemeral, tiny things,
all the marvels
on my Thimble List
make the list only
after they happen
and if I happen
to see them.
My abiding desire
is to stay tuned in
to the frequency
of beauty
until I die
and die with
my thimble full
to the brim.

Ann Keiffer
December, 2016

About Ann

I am interested in the strange beauty of brokenness, in transforming possibility in difficult times, in how we heal even when we can’t get better, in the alchemy of surrender, in the interplay of light and shadow, in the bounty of everyday wonders, in the gift of laughter…and writing about it, all and everything.

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