The Beauty of Simplicity

A song for simplicity

by Luci Shaw

There are some things that should be as they are:

plain, unadorned, common and all-complete;

things not in a clutter, not in a clump,

unmuddled and unmeddled with;

the straight, the smooth, the salt, the sour, the sweet.

For all that’s timeless, untutored, untailored and untooled;

for innocence unschooled;

for unploughed prairies, primal snow and sod,

water unmuddied, wind unruled,

for these, thank God.

Singly and strongly, from each separate star,

a brightness pricks the retina from far

to near.  And for clear eyes to see

deep space and dark infinity

with an untroubled gaze,

give praise.

With both hands unjewelled and with unbound hair

beauty herself stands unselfconscious where

she is enough to have, and worth the always holding.

The mind perceiving her, the heart enfolding

echoes the unchanged pattern from above

that praises God for loveliness, and love.

Glory again to God for word and phrase

whose magic, matching the mind’s computed leap,

lands on the lip of truth,

(plain as a stone well’s mouth, and as deep)

and for the drum, the bell, the flute, the harp, the bird,

for music, Praise! that speaks without a word.

As for the rightness to be found

in the unembellished square and the plain round,

in geometric statement of a curve

respond! without reserve

but with astonishment that there’s for every man

one point in time, one plainly drafted plan,

and in your unique place,

give glory for God’s grace.

All this from him whose three-in-one

so simply brought to birth

from the red earth

a son.

All our complexity, diversity, decor,

facet the gem, encrust the clarity.

So pierce you now the opalescent glaze

till all your praise

rises to him in whom you find no flaw.

*Pictures taken this morning at the Columbia River Environmental Education Center.