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Monday, August 20, 2007

Okay, read the post below, because this is follow-up.

I tend to live in my head (oooo, big surprise), and as a result I'm only observant when I want to be, which is almost never in the car.

On the way to church, over a road we've taken hundreds of times, Charli asked, "is that a junkyard?" Yes, it was. I'd never seen it before. I started to look at the buildings we were passing (I wasn't driving) and discovered several companies I'd never known about before.

Then, driving down my own street thinking about the previous post, I started looking at the oak trees that give my neighborhood it's name. These I have admired before, but this time the sight was on the edge of transcendent. Nature, any nature, can do that.

In fact, there is an ancient folktale about a boy who decided to destroy Hell, so he journeyed to that rather nasty place (a feat unto itself) and planted a small seed. A shoot emerged with just one leaf and one small flower.

All of Hell came to a stop. Demons came from the farthest reaches to see the little plant and to weep.

Just think what an oak tree could do...

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that I will never see
a peom as lovely as a tree

Anonymous said...

oops, poem.

The Lord is His wonder made the fly...
and then forgot to tell us why! :)

Rob said...

Someone needs to feed the spiders!

Seriously, though, the kids and I had a discussion about insects and their importance to us.

The Romans had the concept of Gaia which has evolved into the idea that the earth is a giant interactive organism where living and non-living parts make the greater whole.

This is, of course, a Biblical principle, most evidenced in insects. Insects are mindless creatures driven purely by instinct. They outnumber humans a billion to one, but without them we would not exist. Insects clean up the entropic environment; they eat dead things. If they didn't, disease would wipe out humanity. They are part of an intricately designed machine for human life on the planet.

You've probably heard of the anthropomorphic principle, in which the earth is finely tuned for human life. Just a fraction of a change in temperature, distance from the sun, location of Jupiter... and the list goes on an on, thousands of fine tuning that makes human life possible. Insects are a part of that.

Didn't know you'd kick that off with your poem, didja? It sparks a thought for a follow-up post, too...

Anonymous said...

But, since you are a writer, do you know who wrote the poem? Or who wrote this comment?

overthinker said...

i actually know who wrote that poem but i'm sure mr swanson does too.

so, when does the "swansons's science lessons" blog kick off?

haha.

Anonymous said...

I actually learned that poem in 4th grade. (A few years ago.) It is O**** N***. Right?
But have you figured out who I am yet? (No, it's not Sherlock or any of his other psuedonyms!)

Rob said...

Joyce Kilmer for the tree poem (or peom)but I don't know about the fly stanza.

I'm guessing it's the coltish Schwab, but I'm not certain...

Rob said...

Or Dawn, but then fourth grade was a loooonnnnggggg time ago... :)

malissa said...

Got ya! It's me! And Ogden Nash wrote the fly poem. (See, I told you 4th grade was a loooooooonnnnnnnnnng time ago!) (about 33 years?)

malissa said...

I din't feel like signing in. It's so much more fun to anonymous:)

malissa said...

Especially when you make spelling errors!

Rob said...

Yeah, that tricks everyone into thinking you're Josiah (sting!)