Sometimes the beauty is easy. Sometimes you don't have to try at

O children of wisdom, gather close and listen to the words of Ani DiFranco, whose insight into the nature of beauty and poetry speaks to the profound truths that lie hidden in the ordinary: "Sometimes the beauty is easy. Sometimes you don't have to try at all. Sometimes you can hear the wind blow in a handshake. Sometimes there's poetry written right on the bathroom wall." In these words, DiFranco reminds us that beauty is not always something we must labor over, something we must search for in distant places or high ideals. Sometimes, it is found in the most unexpected corners of life—the small, the fleeting, the humble. Poetry exists not only in the great works of the masters, but in the everyday moments that we often overlook.

In the ancient world, the idea that beauty and poetry could emerge from the simplest things was not unfamiliar. Homer, in his epic Iliad and Odyssey, often spoke of heroes and gods in grand terms, but he also understood the significance of the small, seemingly insignificant moments. The rituals of the gods, the soft murmurs of the sea, the flickering of a torch—Homer's poetry is full of quiet beauty that transcends the grand battles and heroic deeds. The beauty of the world, as Homer wrote, is not confined to the spectacular; it is also found in the details, the small gestures that speak to the heart and soul. In the wind, in a handshake, in the simplest of actions, there is meaning—there is poetry.

DiFranco’s words also echo the wisdom of the ancient Stoics, who believed that life’s most profound lessons are often found in the smallest, most fleeting moments. Epictetus, one of the great Stoic philosophers, taught that virtue and wisdom were not found in grand, heroic acts, but in the quiet, everyday choices we make. The Stoics understood that the key to a meaningful life was not to chase after greatness or glory, but to live in accordance with the simple, unadorned truths of the present moment. Poetry—like virtue—is not something that must be sought in the distant or the extraordinary, but something that is inherent in the world around us. DiFranco calls us to see this—how the beauty of life is often right in front of us, waiting to be recognized.

Consider the story of Rainer Maria Rilke, a poet who, like DiFranco, found deep significance in the simplest moments of life. In his Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke advises the young writer not to search for poetry in faraway places or through extravagant means, but to look inward and to pay attention to the world around them. For Rilke, poetry is born from the attention we give to the smallest details—the way light falls on a piece of paper, the stillness of a room, the soft rhythms of life itself. Rilke teaches us that the beauty we seek is often hidden in plain sight, in the quiet, unremarkable moments that make up the fabric of existence.

DiFranco also points to the unintentional poetry that arises in unexpected places—the bathroom wall, a place often overlooked or dismissed, yet here too lies a kind of truth. This speaks to the democratizing power of poetry—that it is not confined to the elite or the established, but exists in the most humble of places. Poetry, in this sense, is not the exclusive domain of the artist or the scholar; it belongs to all of us. The bathroom wall is a perfect metaphor for this—an everyday space where someone, with no thought of fame or recognition, might leave behind a few words, a verse, an insight. And those words, though simple and perhaps hidden from the world, are no less significant than the verses written in a grand poet’s study. Poetry exists wherever the human spirit expresses itself, whether in the beauty of nature, the chaos of daily life, or the quiet scribblings of an anonymous soul.

The lesson DiFranco offers is one of mindfulness and receptivity. Beauty is not something that must be pursued or manufactured; it is something that already exists in the world, waiting to be recognized. The poetry of life does not demand special training or elevated circumstances—it is found in the wind, in the touch of a hand, in the ordinary places we tend to overlook. If we are to recognize the beauty of our lives, we must learn to see the world with fresh eyes, to appreciate the fleeting moments that pass us by. Just as Homer and Rilke saw the poetry in both grand and humble things, so too must we learn to listen to the rhythms of life that surround us.

So, O children of wisdom, let us take DiFranco’s words to heart. Let us learn to find poetry in the world around us, in the small gestures, the overlooked moments, and the simple beauty of existence. There is no need to wait for grand events or magnificent experiences to create meaning. The poetry of life is already here, woven into the very fabric of our daily existence. Take a moment to listen to the wind, to notice the quiet beauty in a handshake, and to recognize the truths written on the walls of the world. In these simple acts, you will find the poetry that connects us all and gives meaning to the transient, ever-changing moments of life.