to those who see

i am the lucky beneficiary of the fact that a friend of mine's husband collects rare books. he recently gave me a copy of gwen frostic's "to those who see", a book of poems and block prints copyright 1965.  i had not heard of her before and learning more about gwen, discovered that she lived between april 26, 1906 and april 25, 2001.  not only was she a michigan women's hall of fame inductee, but she received five honorary doctorates during her lifetime.  her practice of nature blockprints led to the establishment of presscraft papers, a store of which is still in existence today.

i think i would have liked her.  so would mary oliver.  (who knows, maybe they crossed paths quite literally while out walking in the woods, both being such keen observers of beauty?)  turning the rich vellum-lined pages of her book, i read, "...to those who see miraculous sights and envision all of the wonders hidden from the eye, hear multitudinous sounds and listen to the symphonies that silence brings..."