Attention Is a Prayer
Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.
-- Wendell Berry 1
Hello Holy Mischievians, I am on the move in France. Along with my shoes, clothes and poetry books, I am accompanied by these North Stars (why not three?):
✶ If you deeply observe, everything is your teacher.
(Widely attributed to Gautama Buddha.)✶ Attention is a prayer.2
(Terry Tempest Williams)✶ Staying aware of the importance of creating and tending my glimmers, little micro-moments of joy that I believe are an essential human food group and are everywhere abundant … but so often part of the unreported news.
I grow tired of seeing the faces of people who are famous for forgetting themselves, losing their moral compass and who have sent their own North Stars packing. I would rather look at so-called everyday people … fellow humans whose beautifulness is just bursting out of them. As I wander around amongst strangers (aka new old friends), I have harvested some of their images to share with you, with their consent. It’s a sampling of some of the suns, moons and stars amongst us. Visual prayers to tuck into the pocket of your day. Each a soulful encounter, however minuscule, and a heart connection that lingers. It really doesn’t take much for that to happen in a human life.








These precious beings are each and all a miracle and a marvel. A wonder. The poet Matt Moberg says: Wonder is the oldest form of resurrection.3 We sure could use some resurrection right about now.
Good to visit with you, beautiful humans.
❤️ Debra
From “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” by Wendell Berry.
From the Terry Tempest Williams talk at the 2026 Bioneers Conference: “The Glorians are Among Us” (which I highly recommend). Attention is a prayer is a concept Terry adapted from the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil.
From an unnamed poem by Matt Moberg. It is long but well worth the read.



Today's offering goes right into my heart, thank you Debra. A proper holy mischief medicine. How you make people so lit up is a wonder. To see the numinous in people's eyes and faces, such wonder indeed.
Today I am more aware of life's glimmering n shimmerings thank you dearest debra for bringing this precious and much needed focus. Love love love