©Heather Pound 2021
Image: Canva
Have you ever skipped a stone across a lake,
water smooth as glass, defying the power of
gravity with every jump, even for a moment
A spontaneous celebration erupting when the
bounces reach a number even close to ‘ten’
~~~~
I doubt that the stone minds those moments
of not truly connecting to the earth. People
do, however, when they tell us something
deeply personal, and we are as
inhospitable as the water to the stone
~~~~
This, the pattern of conversation that
much of society favours, not really hearing,
and thinking about what we will say next,
rather than deeply listening, senses engaged
Either caught up on our own opinions
or worrying about how our answer will be
perceived. More about us than about the
person that we are with, if we are honest
~~~~
And we should be honest, because to be seen,
to be known, to be acknowledged, to be heard
is one of the deepest longings of the
average human heart
~~~
Creatures of community, we walk through
entire days withholding the greatest gift
that one person can offer another
–to stop and truly listen
Senses simply and empathetically
focused on the life of another
Their needs, desires, thoughts and joys,
now valued just because another person
stopped—and heard
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2021
When the workmen dug beside the road a year ago or more
the digger damaged branches on the tree that has lived far longer
than I have been alive. But over the winter, I had forgotten this
even though I commune with her daily while at my kitchen sink
~~~~
But now the sun is warming and new life trims the bare
with leaves of lace, unspoiled, green and dewy fresh,
and the gash in her new season dress is once again—obvious
The branches that are broken, naked and unmoving, are
almost like a limp. While otherwise tall and graceful
she waves at me when the wind passes through
~~~~
Do you walk with a limp like this old sister fair?
Do you sometimes see the glaring wound more than
the beauty of the whole? Wish it were gone, will it away
and discover this might be an impossible task?
~~~~
Some of us walk with an unseen limp, a part of who we are
at times it is more obvious, but regularly
it reminds us to stride more measured,
pacing ourselves for the road ahead, not just a single event
~~~~
And this, while irritating, can invite us to notice
things that we would have otherwise rushed past
Worthwhile, kind, and beautiful things
there to be gathered like colorful blooms
waiting beside the road
~~~~
And while we may resist this journey
the best way forward is one of acceptance
embracing all the parts of who we are
moving forward as a whole
—cherishing the whole—
even with a limp
~~~~
—-This is the way to live with peace. And quite often our limp becomes a valuable part of who we are. If your limp bothers you today, embrace it and let it teach you to walk differently. It may not always be with you, but you will be different because of what you have learned.
©Heather Pound 2021
Half-mast and underfed,
I wonder why we frequently
try to live with a diet that
is close to starvation from
the things that truly fill the
bellies of our soul. The food we
require is available and closer
than we think, yet we seek
to live life on rations of crumbs,
famished by distraction,
undernourished at the core
~~~~
Eat of the goodness of life,
that which sustains
While frivolity, excitement,
the pursuit of pleasure,
and things deemed ‘success’
are treats that taste fine;
the food that nourishes
and keeps us alive
is the simple fare found
in daily routines and things
that we can easily mistake
for ‘boring’ or ‘ordinary’
~~~~
Yet without a diet
based on substance
we quickly fade to a shadow
of who we really are and
live wondering why
‘flourish’ is something
we never quite manage
~~~~
After all, would you hold your
breath or breathe shallow
searching for the scent
of something fine
when the fresh air around
is clean and always in supply?
——–Biology 101
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2021
I looked around the place that I was in
Nothing there but bleak, hostile, bare
not a place to build a home
or even unpack a bag
so I began to cross
one step at a time
shaking and quivering
across that flimsy bridge
Because sometimes when you’re desperate
even something shaky and unknown
is preferable to where you have been
But a curious thing began to happen
with each cautious step
I found that the bridge was stronger than I thought
and grew more substantial with each step
Or rather, each uttered word
And the woman sitting across from me listened
with such an empathetic heart
without a flicker of judgement
and with so much kindness in her eyes,
that I told her all that was in my withered soul
mascara running down my face,
tissues scattered round
And week by week I began to see
the beauty that was possible on the other side
of that substantial bridge
—This is a memory of the first time I connected with a counsellor. Pursuing counselling takes a huge amount of courage, but as the relationship develops it becomes easier, and quite literally, has changed my life!
©Heather Pound 2021
There he goes again, the little song thrush
that lives up to his name,
singing morning and night this spring
Faithfully waking us with the dawn
and serenading the setting sun,
high up on the spire that decorates
the roof next door, as if he is
the king of the world
~~~~
Not being familiar with the habits of his kind
I am not sure what motivates this routine
Perhaps he aspires to be a rooster instead
but with a more impressive range of tones and trills
that seems to be sung for no other reason
than spring is here, the air is fine,
and life is good
~~~~
And for me this has become a daily
reminder to stop and listen to the contagious joy
of a tiny bird, performing for all he is worth
marking his territory perhaps, but
for no other apparent reason
than simply being alive
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2021
When I lived in the desert I had no respect for cactus
They were everywhere, prickly, even dangerous
if you fell into them whilst catching a ball
This my son knows well
~~~~
I longed for green, famished
soft grass, tall trees, anything different than these
~~~~
But now I dwell where there are shades of green
more hues than even imagined before
enough to daily stop and stare
I relish in this!
~~~~
But wouldn’t you know
the houseplants I now adore
are those same spiny things I couldn’t wait
to get away from
made precious by the simple fact
that I can admire them one by one
individuals, different,
monuments to creativity and protection, and beauty
I faithfully nurture these and rejoice when they respond
~~~~
This makes me question why do we worry
when we’re perceived different?
Because ‘different’ is rare, even treasured
and rare is beautiful
This a diamond knows well
~~~~
©Heather Pound 2021
When you feel heavy or tired
and you don’t know why
it could be that your heart is singing of loss
and begging you to listen
Loss isn’t always obvious
and shouldn’t be compared to how
others may have it worse, or how
it is better than it used to be
~~~~
Loss, is loss, is loss
It just is
So, if your heart is trying to tell you
about something such as this
listen
and then give it a name
It may be something as simple as
loss of connection, or a relationship
or loss of a freedom even though
everything else ‘should’ be fine
~~~~
If we don’t pay attention when asked
that loss swirls–and expands
and bigger and louder becomes,
screaming,
until it is as if we are covered by storm,
dense and dark and threatening
~~~~
Yet if we just take time to notice the loss
and give it a name–it will breathe
It lets the heart and brain
consider the grief together
and soon something that seemed so huge and
swirling and loud and scary
becomes more manageable
So much so that it might even
fit between your two, strong hands
~~~~~~
—We’ve been in lockdown for a while where I live and many people are expressing a heaviness that they can’t shake. Perhaps acknowledging things that we have lost is something that we need right now.
©Heather Pound 2021
Heather Pound 