The Surprising Lesson Poetry Taught This Poet About Wonder

Evelyn Reed · 2026-11-07

Have you ever stopped to really notice the world around you? I mean, truly notice—the way light falls on a leaf, the sound of a distant train, the feel of a cool breeze on your skin. It's easy to rush through life without pausing to wonder. But according to poet Maya C. Popa, wonder is a practice we can cultivate, and poetry is one of its most powerful teachers. I recently had the chance to speak with Maya about her work, and our conversation kept circling back to a simple question: how do we stay curious in a world that demands certainty? Her answers might change the way you see your own daily life. ### The Art of Paying Attention Maya believes that poetry is, at its core, an act of attention. "A poem asks you to slow down," she told me. "It asks you to notice what you might otherwise overlook." In a culture that prizes speed and efficiency, that's a radical idea. But it's also a deeply practical one. When we practice paying attention—really paying attention—we start to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. That's where wonder begins. - **Slow down:** Give yourself permission to linger. - **Notice details:** What do you see, hear, feel right now? - **Ask questions:** Curiosity is a muscle you can strengthen. ### Embracing Uncertainty One of the most freeing things Maya said was that uncertainty isn't a problem to be solved—it's a space where wonder can grow. "We're so afraid of not knowing," she reflected. "But not knowing is where poetry lives. It's where life lives." That resonated with me. How often do we rush to find answers, to close the loop, to be sure? What if we allowed ourselves to sit with the question a little longer? > "Wonder is not about having all the answers; it's about staying open to the questions." — Maya C. Popa ### Cultivating Curiosity in Daily Life So how do we bring this poetic wisdom into our own lives? Maya offered a few gentle suggestions: - **Start a daily noticing practice.** Take five minutes to write down three things you observed with fresh eyes. - **Read a poem a day.** Let someone else's attention inspire your own. - **Ask 'what if' more often.** Let your imagination wander without judgment. ### The Wonder of Not Knowing In the end, Maya's message is simple but profound: wonder is available to all of us, right here, right now. We don't need special equipment or a far-off destination. We just need to be willing to pause, to look, and to let ourselves be surprised. As she put it, "The world is full of poems waiting to be noticed. You just have to be there to see them." So the next time you feel the rush of daily life pulling you along, try to remember: there's wonder in the pause. And poetry—whether you write it, read it, or simply live it—can show you the way.