I’m the one who will whoop
amidst polite applause.
I give standing ovations
to the petunias most mornings.
I clap for kingfishers,
otter and moose just
because they are there.
I cheer for sunflowers,
red amanita mushrooms,
the snake making it off the road.
I praise the bell pepper, the squash,
the robin, the owl.
I celebrate the moonless night
and the dark inside the shell.
It’s my talent to find beauty,
to honor, to acclaim.
I revel in petal, pinecone, fall.
May I never lose my enthusiasm,
though it means I’m not edgy,
predictable, a fool.
May I always fall in love with the world
and applaud it: river rock, larkspur,
lichen, hail.