The poets in my sketchbook

On paying attention.

Hello there! And welcome to Dandelion Seeds, an illustrated newsletter in search of beauty and wonder in the world.

When I first started sharing summer sketches with you last month, I didn’t anticipate poetry becoming such a big part of the series.

But as I look back now over the past few weeks, all I can think is — but of course.

Like the time I painted a fork-tailed flycatcher in my sketchbook back in 2021, and but of course, the perfect line to pair with it came from poet-ornithologist Drew Lanham¹:

“I worship every bird that I see.” — Drew Lanham

When I think about it now, all of my favorite poets — especially the poets who most frequently appear in my sketchbook — are champions of paying attention.

I think of Drew Lanham writing, “Nature asks only that we notice.”

I think of Mary Oliver calling us, “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

And I think of John O’Donohue and his blessing, “For Presence”:

“May you awaken to the mystery of being here… May you take time to celebrate the quiet miracles…”

“As twilight harvests all the day’s color, may love bring you home to each other.” — John O’Donohue

But of course, because that’s what sketching has always been for me:

My own way of paying more attention and noticing more of those quiet miracles.

These days, it can be so hard to see the world beyond the screens that surround us. My sketchbook is the only thing I can hold out in front of me that actually helps me see the world more clearly, and remember it more deeply.  

Whether I’m standing in front of a sunset, a pond lined with reeds, or one perfect little orange hanging from a tree, there’s nothing I love more than pulling out my sketchbook — and hearing a favorite poem find its way onto the page.

I’ll be back to new illustrated essays soon, but for now, thank you for the chance to change things up a bit this summer and share these moments with you.

With love,
Candace

1. This line was taken from Drew Lanham’s 2021 interview with Krista Tippett on the OnBeing podcast: https://onbeing.org/programs/j-drew-lanham-pathfinding-through-the-improbable/