"Imagine a garbage can," she said, "whatever size you desire."
My garbage can was the extra large green container the type you pull to the curb so big you can't lift it. I saw myself throwing in rocks of worry, dirt clods of sorrow, and flinging feelings of anxiety. All these emotions turned into things I could hold and heave. They all landed in the can with a satisfying sound.
"Now watch it be hauled away by the truck."
I wanted that relief of seeing it all carried away but instead I said, "I need another one."
Her voice replied, "You can have as many as you need."
This morning I missed seeing the beautiful distraction that you are, that you have always been.
You grinning at the hummingbird in the window. You stomping down the stairs to begin the day rushing in to kiss me on the cheek. You humming while sweeping through the doorway
I missed the generosity of you and now it is Thursday already.
When did I fall so heavily asleep to have lost my noticing?
Join us over at dVerse Poets' Pub for Open Link Night. Link one poem of your choice and have fun reading the poetry of others in this welcoming community. - HERE.
Photo taken in Lisbon, Portugal. I fell in love with the murals there.
and they signed up to become listeners for the collective pledging their ears to receive the full telling of each without rejection of a single tale or truth
a willingness to learn this craft of the heart essential for survival of the whole
most understood this was more than an occupation it would become their way of being for a lifetime
to cradle the words of each speaker holding tender the unthinkable
A big thank you to editor Barbara Leonhard for publishing my poem, And if we did. This poem came from an inquiry about what I assume and the power of sitting with the question, “What am I assuming to be true?” I invite you to visit MasticadoresUsa to read the poem, enjoy the poetry of others, and share your thoughts.
Thank you to the many, many poets who keep our hearts alive during challenging times.
Join in Open Link Night at dVerse Poets’ PubHERE. Share a poem of your choice and meet a friendly community of poets.
teapot with toaster smokey skies, lost hope bridges, boundaries hints of forgiveness, open passageways returning again to locked doors rainboots greeting purposeful puddle stomping
associations that may or may not be related depending on who is listening
Inosculation, a natural wonder, encapsulates the extraordinary process where parts of two distinct trees, often of the same species but not exclusively, grow together, forming an intimate bond through self-grafting and the sharing of life-sustaining nutrients. This botanical phenomenon, with roots in Latin—ōsculārī, meaning “to kiss”—brings to life a narrative of mutual support, resilience, and interconnectedness in the realm of nature. from – Nature’s Eternal Embrace: The Extraordinary Bond of Inosculation
“The storm’s ravages had not only opened her eyes, but her heart and mind as well. What mattered was the present moment. The people she was with. She may never be fully free of the past, and the future might bring more struggle. But the here and now wasn’t a place to hide. It was hers to live.”
– from The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore
Distant views calmed her mind these cliffs, twisted roads, rugged mountains were relatable.
A smooth life could not create this kind of beauty
and once again nature was teaching her how to navigate sorrows.
What remains an obstacle may depend on the point from which she observed the landscape.
Photo taken at Colorado National Monument 2024.
Today in the U.S. we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and in his honor, I am reflecting on perseverance.
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 