stand in wonder

mary jane dodd

praying mantis wings that were respectfully collected

'he who can no longer pause to wonder 
and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead;

his eyes are closed.

- albert einstein

these delicate wings belong to those of the praying mantis - a creature i have been strongly drawn to since i was a child.  my daughter and i found one that had been stepped on and was still living - we wrapped it up and put it in a quiet place.

some small rodents (i am guessing) ate the body and left the wings... and so now i have them... and i am grateful for this reminder of strength and fragility, of the cycle of life... of the fact that, somehow, this creature ended up in a place where i was... 

small bronzes by daniel fleming

these beauties grace my home... 

fortunate enough to have lived near to manhattan my whole life, to have aunts who lived in the city and who had me visit, i was brought to art museums at a young age... always knowing to never touch the sculpture - though the metal and its surface called to me - i admired from a close distance... with my camera i would try to catch light on texture, in shadows and fractures... 

daniel makes small bronzes - 

daniel makes it possible for me to do what i was never able to do - to run my fingers over the surface of the bronze, to hold it for however long i choose,

to admire his work not from a distance, but as up close and personal as i can be... 

he cannot know what this means to me - 

there is a reverence for these little figures as they stand with me at the bench... 

they bring me joy

and return me to wonder...