In God Makes the Rivers to Flow; An Anthology of the World’s Sacred Poetry & Prose, Eknath Easwaran includes a selection from Tukaram entitled “When I Lose Myself in Thee.”  I’ve written the following poem-like reflections inspired by this selection.

Lost in Thee

When thus I lose myself in Thee, my God,

Then do I see, and know,

That all Thy universe reveals Thy beauty,

All living beings, and all lifeless things,

Exist through Thee.

—Tukaram

Lord, I behold your beauty in the tulips blooming along the streets.

Lord, I behold your beauty in the rain,

your beauty in the cold, damp air,

your beauty in the open mailbox, full of mail,

your beauty in the Sunday paper and all that it reports,

your beauty in the blown glass vase up on the windowsill,

your beauty in the salad greens I ate for lunch,

the cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, and tomatoes.

I behold your beauty in garlic and onions and oil.

I behold your beauty in black beans and rice.

Lord, I behold your beauty in my car, the smell of oil and exhaust,

your beauty in the lawn mower and in cut grass,

your beauty in the sprinkler, the hose,

your beauty in my bike and helmet,

your beauty in the bike pump,

your beauty in the shovel and the rake,

your beauty in the compost and the garden waste,

your beauty in the skis I haven’t used in years,

your beauty in the Camelback that hangs abandoned in my closet,

your beauty in my tennis shoes, my leggings, my sweatshirt, my t-shirt, my socks,

your beauty in the bush that flashes snow-white blooms,

your beauty in magnolias and roses and lilacs and azaleas,

your beauty in marsh marigolds and trout lilies and trillium,

your beauty in the leaves that bud on otherwise naked trees.

I behold your beauty in the houses that line the streets,

the condominiums, the driveways, the sidewalks,

your beauty in fire hydrants and gutters and power lines and telephone poles,

your beauty in rabbits and squirrels and mice and muskrats,

your beauty in the neighbors walking with their dogs,

your beauty in the babies in their strollers,

your beauty in the children and their skateboards and rollerblades,

your beauty in basketballs and baseballs and volleyballs and racquetballs,

your beauty in racquets and nets and courts,

your beauty in crowds cheering their teams,

your beauty in police cars and ambulances and firetrucks,

your beauty in frogs and toads and flies and ants,

your beauty in snakes and spiders,

your beauty in ducks and geese having a fight.

Lord, I behold your beauty in dust and dust mites,

in banana peels and orange peels and carrot peels,

your beauty in the eyes of potatoes.

Lord, I behold your beauty on computer screens,

smartphones, tablets, ereaders, digital voice recorders.

Lord, I behold your beauty in two-by-fours and wires,

in hammers, saws, pliers, and screwdrivers,

your beauty in soap and shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes,

cleanser, lotion, and make-up,

your beauty in email and those annoying notifications,

your beauty in movies and tv and stereos,

your beauty on talk shows,

your beauty in books and magazines,

your beauty in cameras and photographs,

your beauty in paint and pictures.

Lord, I behold your beauty in mountains and valleys,

your beauty in oceans and lakes,

your beauty in creeks and rivers,

your beauty in beaches and deserts,

your beauty in ancient ruins.

Lord, I behold your beauty in kisses and hugs,

in quiet conversations, in dancing,

in sharing a meal.

Lord, I behold your beauty in churches and synagogues

and mosques and temples,

your beauty in concert halls and theatres,

your beauty in office buildings and shops and restaurants and hotels.

Lord, I behold your beauty in violins and flutes and trumpets,

in guitars and clarinets and oboes and bassoons,

in harps and cellos and trombones,

in basses and drums.

Lord, I behold your beauty in choirs.

Lord, everywhere I look, everywhere I listen,

everything I taste and touch and smell

reveals your beauty.

I cannot escape your beauty; it haunts me like a memory.

There is nothing I would rather see or hear or taste or touch or smell.

There is nothing I would rather know than you and all your glory.

There is nothing I would rather be than you in me.