What do you do? The waiter asks.
I tell him where I work, but that’s not the whole story.
I am a writer, I could say.
An unlikely hiker, also true.
A perpetual ponderer, a chocolate fancier,
a tea, wine and coffee drinker,
a deep sleeper, a resonant snorer, an early riser,
star gazer, rain worshipper, mountain dweller, desert pilgrim,
wildflower seeker, mushroom stalker,
bad driver, decent cooker, hopeless gardener,
devout reader, relentless inquirer, pathetic recollector,
dedicated parent, former spouse, forever friend,
crazy dancer, frequent cryer, more frequent laugher,
terrible trail guide, happy camper, lumbering backpacker,
sincere listener, committed lover, steady presence,
enthusiastic helper, lazy cleaner,
aspiring forager, silent sitter, faithful bower,
wholehearted lover of life
who used to be smaller somehow
until life asked more of me,
asked me to unfurl every leaf and open every blossom.
This, life told me, will feed you and others,
offer more sheltering shade when the sun gets too hot
scent the harsh winds with sweet fragrant beauty
remind you to trust when the rains don’t come.
This, just this, is what life asks of us all.
That after each winter, no matter how cold and harsh,
no matter how great the loss,
we let what was taken go and join the other lost things
so that when spring arrives,
we can answer the call of renewal.
oh how i love this poem … i love all those identities and anti-identities. I love how you said yes to life as it made you bigger, even though it hurt and was difficult. I love how nourishing you are, how you are in spring right now, even as autumn comes.
Thank you friend! Spring in autumn–I didn’t even notice that! xoxo
This. Read this regularly my friend, and let it remind you of how amazing you are. ❤️
Thank you friend–you are such a big part of getting me through winter. I’ll always be grateful. xoxo
Oh golly I love this poem!
This is indeed what life asks of us all
To be present in all our guises
A complete human
Thank you friend–your encouragement is so big for me! xoxo
Oh so beautiful This is my absolute favorite of the words you’ve shared. Thank you, my forever friend.
Thank YOU my forever friend, for those kind words and many others over the years!
Dear Karen –
You Blow me away –
That incredible mosaic of an answer to the daunting question
“no matter how great the loss,
we let what was taken go and join the other lost things”
Thank you Laurie. It’s so very hard though. Love and overly long hugs to you!