Bird of Paradise ...lost

There I was, walking to my vehicle after working all day in a John Deere tractor. My head was down, my walk a little stiff, just thinking about what I had to do next. Brain dead. And there in the ground a little art - as if to say, "Made you LOOK!" One of those brilliant moments in an ordinary day to enjoy the little mystery surprise placed strategically in front of you to wake up your tired soul and quicken your spirit. Now the odd chick in me had to study for a minute. What gift had nature provided and why did this piece of art catch my eye? Well, I liked its unusual hard-edge contour, suspended in its crackeled frame. I liked the contrast of the white and the free form of the bird and proud posture and his expressive beak. I liked the primitive heiroglyphic form on a stone in the dirt. My own little art appreciation class.

Doesn't nature provide the best shapes, the best colors? Was it all given to refresh us, knowing that once we left the garden, our days would be hard and long and wearisome - and that we would need a little art to lift our spirits, a little bird of paradise to remind us to stay in the moment and to keep our minds awake to little gifts planted at our feet because we're too preoccupied or too tired to look up and look around. I believe the more little treasures we see, the more we are trusted with. I don't want to miss a thing. Do you?