Any Morning - William Stafford

Just lying on the couch and being happy.
Only humming a little, the quiet sound in the head.
Trouble is busy elsewhere at the moment, it has
so much to do in the world.

People who might judge are mostly asleep; they can't
monitor you all the time, and sometimes they forget.
When dawn flows over the hedge you can
get up and act busy.

Little corners like this, pieces of Heaven
left lying around, can be picked up and saved.
People won't even see that you have them,
they are so light and easy to hide.

Later in the day you can act like the others.
You can shake your head. You can frown.

"Any Morning" by William Stafford from The Way It Is. © Graywolf Press, 1999.

Posted by Garrison Keillor on The Writers Almanac on November 26, 2012 which was my father's 96th birthday. This poem embodies my father's attitude to which I aspire. These are photos from yesterday morning as spring emerges here in my little corner of the world and the mornings are so perfectly lovely.

Be happy, hum a little, pick up pieces of heaven and save them. Good advice.

Make it Right

This is my new next door neighbor who has greeted me the last two mornings and started my day with beauty. Flowers of all varieties and colors abound here but she caught my eye and made me grateful for such loveliness.

Perhaps I've been more aware of her because of a wonderful thing that occurred two days ago. My beach bag had been stolen out of my car on the way home from the beach on Sunday when I got out of the car at an overlook to take photos. It held my cell phone, running watch and temporary driver's license along with a small amount of money. I was discouraged, angry and my heart felt heavy. But, on Tuesday I received a call from the local police to come to the station for my bag. They said a mother came into the station and said "I'm returning this." Not "I found this" but "I'm returning this."

I can only imagine the rest of the story and the heartache involved for her but I thank her and bless her and acknowledge how dramatically she changed my experience. My heart felt lighter. I actually skipped to my cottage when I got back. I'm grateful for her compassionate action.