Say to yourself
many times a day, as often as you can,
“How beautiful.”
Then you will see October snow which buries all the brightest gold in white
as diamonds.
The world teems with horrors;
you can spot them anywhere.
But with brave endurance,
your vision will adapt; your eyes will fasten on
the orange demilune of moon.
Though waning now, soon she will grow
to shine, a second sun.
“How beautiful,” you’ll say.
Practice the words that they may flow right off the tongue
to baptize all the goodness of this earth:
the sunrise (should you see it), each night’s new sunset,
cotton clouds and drizzly days,
frost furry on a pumpkin vine.
For everything there is a time, and look—
your life has coincided with this one moment of wonder.
Oh,
how beautiful.