There is a little fire
On the constant thought I never share
A child scrapes his hands through the sand
He pulls up a great fistful of shimmering silica
And inside that little clenched galaxy he holds a shifting conglomerate of empties
A collection of voids,
A crumbling lattice of chasms
Infinite bottomless pits—
Each plunging
Each running deep and wide between billions of lonely, trembling atoms
And the child laughs and
He throws the sand in the air
The sun and the diatoms are in his hair
And he is the cosmos, drawing breath
He is the very Earth, encountering itself
He is the universe: given to feeling and self-discovery!
If only for a flash
If only for a spark
But there is a fire and there is a light
In the boy and in his life
For he is fully alive
Fully purposed
And fully actual
This boy is the glory of all creation
But he does not know it
What about you?
***
Authors note:
The boy in this story could be anyone or no one. He is just a symbol for each of us and for life in general. What I’m really saying here is that I often look at life and the living as really nothing short of mind shattering miracles.
Matter itself is miracle enough, but the fact that the matter which comprises the universe has pieced itself together in such ways as to allow consciousness and feeling to spring up is just absolutely wild. It’s awe inspiring. Whether you think it’s by luck or by design, it’s just awe inspiring to consider! Chemically speaking we’re literally just pieces of the earth, moving around and interacting with other sentient pieces of the planet.
And in all that, there’s quality to life? Suffering. Enjoyment. Hostility, and love.
I think about this all the time.
But I almost never voice the thought. Because it just feels (and probably sounds) way too trippy to share.
Imagine some dude stopping you on the street, looking into your eyes and asking if you even realize that you are the universe?
You’d make a hasty retreat and wonder what the heck was wrong with that weird guy.
Or atleast, that’s what I’d do even though I’d plainly agree that the dude is a miracle too.
About the Creator
Sam Spinelli
Trying to make human art the best I can, never Ai!
Help me write better! Critical feedback is welcome :)
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Comments (14)
I definitely would make a hasty retreat from said guy in the street haha, but I take your point completely. This was a lovely read Sam. What kept sticking out to me was the image of the child, and how joyful and innocent and open they are. We lose that child-like wonder as we grow up (Peter Pan right?), and we lose our perspective on so many important things. Things like our place in the world, how vast and countless it is, and how unique we are. Favourite line is "And inside that little clenched galaxy..."
This article is inspirational and educative
This poem shows the wonder of a child’s play as a powerful moment where he becomes one with the universe, full of life and light. Love it 💗
This piece really makes you think about the wonder of life. The image of the child playing with sand and being compared to the cosmos is powerful. It makes me recall a time when I was at the beach, watching the waves crash and feeling a sense of insignificance and yet also connection to everything around me. You raise some great points about how amazing it is that matter has come together to allow for consciousness. It's mind-blowing to think about. I often wonder the same thing, but like you, I don't usually share those thoughts because they can seem so out there. I'm curious, though. Do you think there's a way to make these ideas more accessible to people? How can we start conversations about the profound nature of our existence without coming across as too "trippy"? It seems like an important discussion, but it's not always easy to broach.
Heyyyy Sam! I'm able to comment now hehehehe. Congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Great 👍
Very well written and a great share. When you really start to think deeply about something like this, it is mind-boggling. Even the people we know right now, if you trace things back in your life, one simple different decision, one different path followed instead of the one you took, you may not know some, most, or any of the people you currently know. It is a deep subject that has so many things you could discuss and take into consideration. Well done!!
I am rather obsessed by the fact that everything in existence is made up of energy and atoms. I think about it all the time. You poem is a thing of beauty Sam. I particularly enjoyed your reference to the child and the sand. Well done on Top Story!
Well written poem
Congratulations on your top story! This is such a beautifully written piece.
That last paragraph? Absolutely the kind of "weird guy on the street" I’d stop and listen to because sometimes, the miracle does need to be voiced, even if it sounds trippy.
I love the way you’ve balanced the enormity of the ‘trembling atoms’ with the sheer joy of the little boy throwing sand into the air. This was so good Sam.
I too marvel at the unlikelihood of life and how we completely and utterly take it for granted. We're just atoms? And the universe is infinite? That blows my mind. It's a gift, Sam, that you have here and to know it is wonderful too. Hold it close as there are those who would want to disabuse you of it, if they could.
I share your beliefs and can't help but to think about crazy shit every day. To me, growth of organic material is nothing short of atoms caught in a programmed reaction to time and energy. You can't look at anything without seeing a configuration of atoms. Even the stuff we create. I believe it's more than luck. Its design. The proof is in the pudding someone once said, haha. Nice of you to share this deep-thinker side of you. Sometimes I do the same by adding a 'trippy' element to stories. Another great read, Sam.