Darkness gathers thick and threatening
hands gleefully rubbing, ready,
but the flame flickers in the darkness
bouncing shadows off the wall
and darkness shrinks back, startled
~~~~
It only takes one small flame to do this,
because light is stronger and darkness
will always recede when light
is in the room. Remember this
when hope is dim and joy has fled
~~~~
The dark, while dense and imposing,
muscles flexing and intentions clear,
cannot withstand the light of even
the least of flames and magnifies
the presence of light simply by existing
~~~~
So, allow the dark to enhance the light
and focus on the flame. Protect
it, embrace it and the darkness will
flee every-single-time
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2022
Wind lashes, sand stings, the spray
of the sea arrives unexpected
and booms against the rocks
I lean into the power in the howling blast
I watch the crashing waves
and they speak to my heart
of things that are greater than I
and in one whom I can trust
to keep those that I love secure
–even amidst the tempest
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2022
As I sat in the room with my most loved ones
and played the game of “remember when,” I realized,
that the most treasured things in life aren’t the perfect, neither in the living–or the retelling
but the memories, the most precious parts of the story of us are the things,
that didn’t go as planned
Like how the youngest was sick when we travelled through Bangkok–every. single. time.
And how we walked with tired limbs for hours before we found transport after the New Year’s firework display off the Burj Khalifa that only lasted five minutes
We almost lost each other in a different New Year’s Eve crush, clinging desperately to each other’s hands on Park Street, Calcutta. Somewhat horrific, but laughing in the end
And then there’s the crazy old man that screamed at us to get back from the edge of the Grand Canyon even though there was no way we could have fallen
Or remember the too-hot-to-sleep nights in Fiji when the neighbours would all sing, harmonies floating in balmy air
And remember when Dad thought that there was a gas station ahead but there wasn’t, yet we made it on fumes towards the ancient glacier along the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
So many other stories of adventure survived around the world—together.
Incredible shared beauty that marks and feeds our corporate soul
It’s not the themed amusement parks of fleeting pleasure,
but the stories of adversity that are leisurely spoken of in our remembrance.
These are the things that bind us together, the foundation of our familial bond
Priceless narratives that remind us we have really lived—and often thrived
The cracks in our lives that are ‘just ours’, they make us strong
Shared adversity seals our hearts in priceless ways,
in a bond that no one else can quite appreciate
So the next time things don’t go quite as planned, instead of stress, embrace
Gather all of the ‘not quite’ fiercely in, hold it close to your chest,
let it grow rich in memory, and smile,
because it’s all the golden cracks that bond us together
that embody the most beautiful whole.
©Heather Pound 2022
On our second night in the new-to-us
campervan we slept by the water,
sunset spectacular and fully at peace
But during the night the wind began to
howl, the van began to shake and
in my nest over the cab I wondered
how much we could endure
~~~~
I ‘knew’ that it was fine. Four tons or
more of steel will not easily fall,
but this I had not experienced before,
so I did not fully ‘know’
~~~
In the morning I considered how many
times I have been completely safe in the
middle of some form of storm, but because
it was unknown worried and fretted
and lost precious sleep
~~~~
–I endeavour to do less of this
©Heather Pound 2022
Today, the story is raw
Words come out in jumbles
and full of sharp edges
uncomfortable in your mouth
I can only imagine how
your heart must feel
in the telling
~~~~
You are someone brave
~~~~
You have discovered
that the longer that the narrative
is tucked away inside
the more power that it holds
and what you must do is
simply start the flow
and that is not an unimaginable
thing when you find a place
that is safe
~~~~
–listening is an often unexplored super power
~~~
©Heather Pound 2022
image by Canva
I have always known that ‘His yoke is easy, His burden light’
but I used to think of him as the pilot, and myself the calf
Him a kind master, lovingly tending my needs and wounds
directing my steps, choosing what is best
while my neck carried the harness
~~~~
It’s important to remember though, that a yoke can have more space
Not one, but places for two necks and two shoulders to bear
binding two creatures together in helpful companionship
moving in the same direction, following the same commands
bearing the burden, doing the work, feeling the chafe
–together
~~~~
This God that I follow is of the sort that doesn’t leave me to
walk the path alone. He is not remote, out of reach, or jostling from behind
No, He dips his neck, accepts the yoke
and walks beside——
sharing my burden, experiencing my path
feeling the dust and the sun and the thirst
He willingly supports and offers His strength for both
the pleasant and the pain.
The yoke is easy and the burden is light
because HE is carrying the heaviest part of the load
~~~~
—when you think you’re alone and God doesn’t care
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2022
Abide
This is what I chose to do
with you
Forever and always in my heart
Choosing today, each day
to remain
This I will continue to do
as long as I have breath to breathe
I will stay
Because you have been
you are
and will always be
my abode
my home
~~~~
-inspired by John 15
©Heather Pound 2022
You can feel it clanging in your head
that uncomfortable, light-headed, perplexing noise of
‘something is not right.’ Two or more voices vying
at once for attention in your brain. It might be anger
and ‘I should forgive,’ or grief when ‘I should
be positive.’ Whatever it is, it’s not helping
you to avoid how you really feel and the ringing
in your mind will harm you in the end
~~~~
When dissonance arrives, the constructive thing
is to throw that ‘should’ into the wind and allow
whatever you think and feel be what it really is
‘I am tired of the anger, but today it needs to breathe
–and that is still okay.’ ‘Good vibes only’ sounds
delightful, but will ultimately scramble your brain
~~~~
You can calm the sound by being honest
even if your values or beliefs are not at ease
with where you are at today
Speaking the truth to self now is not easy
but is far healthier in the end and will allow
the alarm bells to stop ringing and paves
the way for peace
~~~~
-long term cognitive dissonance can damage us physically and unattended holds us back from processing our thoughts and feelings making them increasingly heavy to carry in the end
©Heather Pound 2022
Heather Pound 