There is also a suggestion of moment-to-moment 'excitement,' in the poetic life for even though the poet is alone, he is still sailing in his imagination. Thus, the mundane work of life, and of the grind of writing, and simply living can be, with proper mindfulness, the stuff of great art. A single room can provide the scope of a great, even epic journey of the spirit. This reference to a kind of Buddhist mindfulness or appreciation of the vitality and poetic intensity that is there in everyday nature, if only we look for it is seen in the poem "Dharma," where Collins marvels at "The way the dog trots out the front door/ every morning/ without a hat or an u

Collins envisions angels dreaming and crafting their own visions and dreams as humans do, "swing[ing] like children from the hinges" of a heavenly door, or amusing themselves with their own wordplay like the poet in their "spirit world" by saying their "names backwards and forwards" or sitting alone like the author, and using their minds in their own rooms and gardens to change the colors of their wings. Even the title of the poem about angels, "Questions about angels," ultimately locates the angel's presence squarely in the human imagination, specifically the child's act of naive questioning about God that leads to insight. This childishness simplicity in the creative act is another parallel with Collins' own delight at questioning, portraying, and finding beauty in the mundane world. (24)

Collins' poetry inspires the reader to seek poetry in his or her own life and daily experiences, one of his greatest gifts as a poet. When thinking about barking dogs, when shoveling snow, or simply dreaming about angels and one's loved ones who have passed away, a reader accesses poetry. Poetry is found in the ordinary, in the natural acts and observations of the world and the room around us, as poets-and even when the extraordinary does intrude, like lightening at a picnic, Beethoven in a study, or the eyes of the dead while we are making a sandwich, such extraordinary events do not cancel out the importance of daily life, but rather reinforce the mystery that is present even in the commonplace.

Even in our ordinary, sandwich making life, we are still being observed by our loved ones, now far beyond-even if they may be engaged in exciting sight-seeing in the world of eternity, the everyday rooms of our lives are still meaningful to them, and thus they should be meaningful to us, Collins' readers, and meaningful to other readers and writers of poetry. Who knows, perhaps the dead are even perusing a Victoria's Secret catalog with the poet-for even this act is worthy of his poetic consideration, so long as it is done with awareness! (109)

Still, within his individual and ordinary soul, located in his study, the poet engages with eternity in both a difficult and a delightful, funny way, both with the angels of heaven, and memories of t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Victoria's Secret, Eastern Religions, Picnic Lightning, Dharma Collins, , world mundane, barking dogs, mundane world, dead looking, loved ones, shoveling snow,
Approximate Word count = 1513
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)