At 5 pm today, I found myself inexplicably weeping over the navel oranges in a bag. I blame the one and only Aimee Nezhukumatahil and her glorious collection "World of Wonders". Between detailed descriptions of animal, flora and fauna and recollections of her mixed Filipino and South Indian upbringing, Nezhukumatahil seeks to bring us back to a state of childlike wonder with the natural world. It is an ambitious goal, but her gentle narrative style guides the reader to a place of contemplative reflection. Just incredible!

Quotes:
"I know I will search for fireflies all the rest of my days, even though they dwindle a little bit more each year. I can't help it. They blink on and off, a lime glow to the summer night air, as if to say: I am still here, you are still here, I am still here, you are still here, I am, you are, over and over again."

"If a white girl tries to tell you what your brown skin can and cannot wear for makeup, just remember the smile of an axolotl. The best thing to do in that moment is to just smile and smile, even if your smile is thin. The tighter your smile, the tougher you become."

"I wonder about alectryomancy, writing by divination. A white hen is set near a board divided into 26 segments. You place a grain on each segment, then take down what words are spelled out when the hen eats the grain. On my worst writing days, that's what writing a poem feels like. Only I am not the hen. I am the grain."