Admiration

There are many ways to admire things. I admire computers, but I don’t like them. Don’t like what they’ve done. I admire many of the accomplishments of human beings, but I don’t like human beings. Don’t like what they’ve done. Don’t like what they do. I like some of the things they’ve done. I like running water and electricity. But I don’t like waste and war and fracking and hacking and greed and autocracy. I don’t like deceit. I like jelly beans but I don’t admire them. I admire wire. I admire fire. But I’m not a fan of wire. I’m a fan of fire but not of wire. I admire wire. I appreciate wire. Wire allows voices to come out of my radio. Wire allows light to come out of our lamps. I prize wire. I respect wire. But I don’t adore wire. Infatuation and wire do not, necessarily, conjoin. And this is why I admire fire but I don’t go crazy for fire. I savor the warmth of a fire. I value fire but I don’t embrace fire. I admire adhesion, adherence, and umbrellas. I admire toothpicks and teeth and tongues and tungsten. But I don’t worship tongues or teeth or umbrellas or toothpicks. I appreciate these things. I value these things. But I don’t necessarily love these things. Love is a strong word. Admire is a sensible word. But let’s not get carried away. I like getting carried away but let’s not get carried away today. Let’s admire the day. Let’s admire the day and its random occurrences and delights and dents and berries and surges and choices and perplexities and contradictions and powders. I admire them. Let’s admire them. Let’s admire these things while we can. Let’s play guitars and sing. Let’s admire the momentum of the mongoose. Let’s admire mohair and mesas and refrigeration. Fingers hammers driveways highways byways and prunes. Caribou fortitude opals labels staples jonquils jewels fossils cymbals bevels buckles candles cradles councils mountains and the wind over the dunes.