Maya Garaway week one - “Blue Springs” by C. Dale Young

For my poem, I decided to write about “Blue Springs” by C. Dale Young. Honestly, I read through so many poems until I found C. Dale Young. I wanted to find an author that resonated with me, not only from a singular poem but as well as their messages and writing style throughout their poems. “Blue Springs” was the first poem I read by C. Dale Young. For this poem, I connected with the theme of appreciating the world around you. 

The poem describes the experience of visiting a lovely blue lake. It is said to be a beautiful spot with water that is bluer “than the heart of a sapphire.” The author then addresses a conflict that most people face when it comes to nature. A simple choice. The two options of “the paralysis of awe, or the quick nonchalance of acceptance.” This line is what captured my attention. 

I tend to contemplate different topics I come across. Recently, the ability to stop for a second and appreciate the world around you has been on my mind. I find that it is surprisingly difficult for some people to do. The practice of taking any amount of time around you brings a sense of grounding and gratification. It reminds you to take joy in the simplicity of life and in everything you do. It can be almost meditative to notice any small details like the pattern that the bark of a tree and grass make as they meet, the graceful and flowy way a squirrel runs, or even just the way a leaf falls from a tree. How many people can say they could describe those three examples in detail? 

The author goes on a similar pattern of thinking, he wonders if the original finders of this spring took time to appreciate it. He wonders if “they [ran] in with their clothes on” or “that this was the fountain of youth?” In the end, he says that he went to the edge of the walkway and took time to appreciate the nature around him. 

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51229/blue-springs


 

Comments

  1. BenSeptember 6, 2022 at 1:21 PM

    I really like the message you took from the poem. As someone who used to never stop and smell the roses, I can tell how much my life has changed, how much more gratitude I have, because of the opportunities I take to absorb the world around me.

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