“With soul awake”

The American poet Florence Earle Coates wrote:
“Who walks the world with soul awake
Finds beauty everywhere;
Though labor be his portion,
Though sorrow be his share,
He looks beyond obscuring clouds,
Sure that the light is there!”

This describes perfectly what I try to do. Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder, but being willing to find it is half the battle.

Sometimes it’s easy. Beautiful landscapes, trees, flowers, birds… what’s not to like?

Sometimes it’s a matter of taste. I love graffiti, some hate it. Same with cities as a whole.

The underbelly of the city isn’t exactly pretty. And yet, I find beauty even here, despite the fact that I have mixed feelings about urban sprawl that crowds out nature and animals. Finding balance between needed development and equally needed access to nature isn’t always easy.