love, light, time

"Do you remember?
that time and light are kinds

of love, and love
is no less practical
than a coffee grinder

or a safe spare tire?"

Lines from the poem "The Word" by Tony Hoagland offer us a wise reminder as school begins and days and hours are filled with necessary tasks.  Perhaps the list of "no less practical" items could be extended to the many activities that we can too easily do merely from routine, forgetting that the opportunity to read a book, play an instrument, ride a bike, share a cup of coffee with a friend, or go to class are gifts as fleeting as each day's light.  That is the lesson I take away: love is practical and even the ordinary, seemingly only practical is precious when it is a vehicle of love.