Introspective Lenses 4 Life

“It is not what you look at that matters, it is what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau

Looking at the famed bridge,
in front of me,
o’er the Arno river,
spans history
where storied facts
and
perspective lock eyes.

After beginning my walking tour of Florence with an important stop at the Ponte Vecchio bridge, I next head through the Galleria degli Uffizi on the way to Piazza della Signoria.

Michelangelo, Bandinelli, Ammannati
Piazza della Signoria

From here, enjoying a leisurely walk opens to my view the Piazza del Duomo where the iconic Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, begun in 1296, attracts attention with its white, green, and pink marble and massive complex.

It was completed in 1436 and showcases the incredible skilled crafts of several architects, painters, and sculptors, including Donatello.

Arnolfo di Cambio, Giotti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Francesco Talenti, Emilio De Fabris

From one piazza to another, I visit another religious complex. Standing proudly at one end of the piazza is the Basilica de Santa Croce, the architectural highlight of Piazza Santa Croce.

Galileo, Da Vinci, Dante
Basilica de Santa Croce

Firenze is home to exquisite artisans.
Intricate, detailed masterpieces.
Outward and inward marvels.
Where time stands still,
with willing eyes.
Using lenses created for life.
As complex as choices, interactions, and living.

What are you looking at?
Can you see?

No, this was not rotated nor is it really upside down. I purposely shot it from a leaning-back position to better glimpse the mysteriousness of the skilled hands that created such a beautiful monument now whispering to my soul.
Sssssshhhhh.
Stop, stand still, look, then see.
Perceive what lies beyond physical sight.

Perspective to perception.

Sculpted by life’s experience,
perspective’s lens takes precedence.
Change the lens and aperture scroll.
Heed the whisperings of the soul.
Seek to see past perspective’s view
beyond the outward sight’s purview.
Focus. Observe. Capture the essence.
Perception’s awareness in silence.

In my Florence (Firenze) experiences, symbols of my life exist for my reflection. I think of all those whose paths intersected with mine, the parents who lovingly shaped my senses and the family that continues to paint my life with colourful scenes. I am built through challenges and treasured memories I hold sacred, introspectively guarded.

The world is my playground and sandbox where I enthusiastically build sandcastles, explore, and often retreat behind decorated gates of perspective, perception, and interpretation: heartfelt mindfulness introspection, discovering the essence of being me.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
Albert Einstein

© Vicki Nicholls 2025