Nature's Canvas

                                                             ©Gail Lipe
She walks down the street
oblivious to her surroundings,
flower petals grab at her
from the red blanket under her feet, 
unable to get her attention
from the day's missions
consuming her mind.

The cascading flower buds
in the unlikely tree
have become part
of her familiar environment,
a detail disappearing 
into the fabric of her life.

Not long ago,
when she was new 
to this place,
she would have stopped
to admire the beauty
and complexity 
of the flowers in the tree.

Where does that awe 
and curiosity go
when familiarity moves in?
Why do we wait 
for something to change
before we slow down
and notice the details?