“Attention in the beginning of devotion.”
Mary Oliver said “attention is the beginning of devotion;” and as a writer, part of my practice involves paying attention. It’s often harder than it seems it should be, with the whorl of life that often spirals in and around me. Other times though, it just happens.
A Moment
As I pull a napkin, flimsy and recycled brown, from the stack left from last night's take out, I sense just a glimpse of the perfection of this moment.
In an instant, I am able to see past the ticking clock. Past the dining table full of odds and ends—two empty fountain pens, an old gasket, a box of wax seals, a never used plastic fork. Past my half-read copy of Cloud Cuckoo Land, two maps for collaging, and a near-empty bowl of bird seed.
I am moved beyond the usual noise in my head.
Beyond the unswept floor, the still-unmade bed, the unexercised body, and the empty fridge. I look beyond all the other undone things, their stares and wonderings if today would be the day I finally—
I move the napkin close and place my cup of coffee atop it carefully, not wanting to mar the wood table.
In a blink, I notice everything as it is.
One cat asleep on a nearby chair, the other dipping his tongue, sipping from a bowl of clear water. The muffled television in the other room, its moods, channels and sounds softly whirring. My husband nearby, a blanket on his lap in the cool morning and holding his coffee.
This pen moving surely, scratching softly across the loose-leaf paper. Me, in this chair supported by the wood floor, my lower back cool from the metal chair slats, my feet warmed by a pair of socks. I catch the sun, early morning and shining on the basil plant through the screen on the porch.
The moment, perfect, holds it all. A house and husband, a table and cats. Writing, coolness, warmth, light. My breath. The sun and sky, plants on a porch.
The whole world, right here, for me to experience.
What have you been paying attention to? I invite you to write it down as an act of love.
Writing Invitation
I encourage you to open your notebook and answer this week's writing invitation with whatever wants to come through.
Photo used in writing invitation by Anastasiia Nelen on Unsplash
Online Writers’ Studio for Women
If you’re interested in receiving more writing invitations and having a place to write on a more consistent basis, you can find a new one every day and the space to see where it takes you in my daily co-writing sessions, which are just one part of the Online Writers’ Studio for women. The Studio also has regular writing workshops, weekly intuitive energy readings, and meditative writing sessions.
Otherwise, come back next week, and I’ll share another one.
Banner photo by Matej Spulak on Unsplash; coffee photo by Diane Douiyssi