if you cannot move

feet planted solid and fast

stuck in the mud and muck

you can at least still lean

 

lean into the direction that you next want to go

the place where fields of grace await

do not lean back in remembrance of the place

that you have been

 

to gather bouquets of lessons learned is fine

but do not go back to the site of your scars

do not seek the presence of the things that did this

 

that was then

this is now

so in this moment in the absence of

all that is darkness

lean

 

lean strong and intentional towards grace

grace for others too but mostly towards

the grace you never offered to you

 

a child throws tantrums because they do not

know how to identify a need

it’s not really about a fizzy or a biscuit

or not putting on their shoes

it’s about the need of rest of comfort

or the calming of a mind overstimulated

 

you have grace for this—but you struggle

with grace for you

 

i do not say this to add to any guilt of shame

but to gently point to that doorway that portal

that leads the way towards grace

 

softly beckoning

gently drawing

you can follow her there if you choose

 

Heather Pound 2024

Photo by meriç tuna on Unsplash