Leaping Greenly Spirits of Trees:In Praise of Yard Art
“i thank You God for most this amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes”
I have always been a fan of yard art. Not necessarily because of the art itself, per se, but because I imagine an intrinsic joy in anyone who shows such an outward manifestation of celebration. It delights me.
The yard in the photo is from my neighbor one street over. As you can see, the blinds are all shut, and I know she lives there alone and has arthritis (from a sidewalk conversation when she was decorating her yard). But, she never fails to decorate. Every possible holiday and season is covered. Hanging ornaments, flags, statuary, and even stuffed animals. I choose to believe this small thing brings her joy and she wants to share her joy.
The writer Ross Gay just came out with The Book of (More) Delights. It is the sequel to The Book of Delights, published in 2019, and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Starting on his 42nd birthday, Gay spent a year writing what he calls an “essayette” every day about something he finds delightful-nicknames, fireflies, adult braces.
Gay wrote the first book in 2017, and there was plenty going on that might not have caused delight, as is the case now. “You can sort of see that pull to get completely floored. I think it’s an interesting tension to be like, I’m trying. I’m trying to keep the light. This is my focus now. This is my discipline.” Gay said about the book.
It’s important to note Gay does not try to erase or omit grief, anger, or sorrow. Rather, he embeds them in his experiences of delight, contrasting and further defining them.
I don’t know about you, but I need this right now. Ross Gay said when he first set the intention of delight he had to “look around and be, like, really attentive.” The key is in paying attention, and like any cultivated practice, once you recognize delight, you’ll see more of it.
Today I choose to delight in a giant orange fabric carrot hanging from a tree branch. And if I pay attention, I will be grateful for “everything, which is natural which is infinite which is yes.
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Ellis Elliott is a published author and poet. Join her Bewilderness Writing Workshops and use free writing to find yourself and your voice on the page. Order her poetry collection Break in the Field.