Pleasure in Things

There was a time
 when you had to be practical
 and efficient
 above all else.
 

The business of living
 was tricky, and it was enough—
 sometimes too much—
 to find solutions
 to the problems at hand,
 stowing the knowing
 you weren’t yet strong enough
 to hold.
 

But here you are now
 and utility has given way
 to beauty, harmony,
 the poetry of detail,
 the halo of care
 around a creation
 that was loved into being.
 

What is essential
 has expanded
 to include not just what works
 but what feels good.
 

Rest your hand
 on this walnut table,
 your foot
 in this shearling boot.
 Marvel at the paint and light
 on the canvas,
 the glaze on the pot.
 

Your pleasure in things
 matters.
 Your delight
 counts.
 

Choose it. Feed it

with your feelings of simple joy.

Photo by Lisa Fotios