{i suspect that my list of what i am thinking about when i think about beauty may become an extremely irregular series.}

when i think about beauty, i am thinking about:

the juice of a very ripe peach dripping down your chin. a shy smile. the smell of roasting cauliflower. the two bluebirds that visit my patio every day that i’ve named harold and kumar. freshly painted (mint green) toenails. the smell of the first ripe strawberries at the farmers’ market. rejoicing with a friend when they receive good news. the salty smell of the sea.

the call to prayer echoing through the medina. wading in an icy-cold river. an unexpected invitation. the spark of an idea. fresher than fresh orange juice. the throat of a tiny bird vibrating as it chirps. soft skin. the so-red-it’s-almost-purple of a field of clover. the wind through my hair. a breath in, hallelujah – a breath out, hallelujah. a fuzzy caterpillar crawling across the path.

the soft down of a baby duckling waddling after its mother. when atlas cocks his head sideways and looks at me intently as if he’s trying really really hard to understand me. hope. a fluffy cloud with backlit edges. sharing a moment of connection with a stranger. when someone waves from across the park. a clap of thunder. sharing a meal with friends. a dragonfly glistening in the sunlight. feeling heard.

a flock of birds dancing in the air in unison. the bright green of new pine needles. big clumsy bumblebees. a whispered confidence. a message from someone i love. words like peony, elucidate, and melancholy. flower petals on the sidewalk. possibility. a candle flame in the dark. inner stillness. a hug. the fiery excitement of someone sharing one of their passions. the color blue.

when i think about beauty, i am thinking about all of this and so much more.