to the tiny spot living below your heart,
that very small dot you’ve discovered
that is able still to notice, be present
and observe things that are good
in spite of everything else,
i see it
it is not as insignificant or fragile
as it might first appear…
it is small due to pressure and force
adversity extreme,
withstanding a multitude of hardships
and over time has formed into
–a diamond
somehow, amazingly
it still exists
and glimmers
with a sliver of hope
isn’t that remarkable?
heather pound 2024
Photo by Natalya Letunova on Unsplash
palm fronds wave in the wind
or just a strong breeze really
as storm clouds roll away swift
and the sun peeks through
glistening on the snowy wings
of seagulls darting past
and beyond that—as always, the sea
a bit towards the shade of grey
as whitecaps invade the blue
the eyes soak this in
as the richness of colour
and the meditation of motion
draws the heart towards peace
–occasionally staring out the window
is all the therapy you need
heather pound 2024
Photo by Angello Pro on Unsplash
my last glimpse of him
a silly wave and grin goodbye
as the orderly wheeled him
to dinner table
he knew it was the last time
i knew it was the last time, too
as cancer progressively invaded
functioning brain
(isn’t cancer stupid?
simply by being alive
it can end the life of its host
–defeating its own self too)
and i walked out the door
to the airport and the plane taking me
back to the other side of the world
to children of my own, heartbroken but
grateful. grateful that in that moment
he gave me one final gift of assistance
—because how do you just walk away
forever from someone you have
always loved?
and while i knew he felt it too
he made it easier for me
with that cheeky smile
–thinking about my dad after reading a poem about someone else’s.
heather pound 2024
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
“i could have done better
i should have said this
I would have done that”
round and round
the wheel again
but to live in this cycle
does not honour the effort
the things that went well
and the moments that were
even perhaps…great
and what power are you
giving away to others
anyway, allowing them
to be judge and jury?
they do not determine
your worth.
this one experience
does not define
if you sought to do your best
(even if you had the ability
to do better in the end)
celebrate the wins and
let the rest
—rest.
–don’t let yesterday’s worry bleed into today
heather pound 2024
Photo by Jacob Bentzinger on Unsplash
the thing about a sanctuary is,
it is a place that you must go
-whether it’s physical
or a space within your heart-
and a place you must choose not
to leave
this place will not arrive passive
and it will not tether if you happen
to wander away distracted
you will never pass over its threshold
if you are convinced that you
are not in need solace
if you think that ‘to need’
is something that is weak
but sanctuary invites regardless
whispers floating past
and once you tune out the noise
of all that is around, you will
be drawn in by the sound
–of peace
and while this is not a place
to live out the rest of your days,
it is nourishment essential
and healing
it is always there
if you earnestly seek
and pause often
to respond
–choose to find sanctuary often
heather pound 2024
Unsplash+In collaboration with Alexander Mils
they walked on dry seabed
between walls of water wet
to safety on the other side
and then, but three days later
of wandering in that arid place
they railed at moses saying
“this is hopeless,
what will we drink? it was
better before as slaves”
and i wonder if God breathed deep
and thought “i held back
the waters miraculous and yet
you already do not think
i can sort out water to drink”
and sighed…
but not with judgement or disgust
as this human might presume,
but with sadness that his beloved
still carried
these worries
and fears.
and even after miraculous deeds
were not free
to trust
so he lovingly reminded
them once again
–through water
heather pound 2024
Getty Images
your text this morning read
“a little rugged”
and for this i am sorry
–yesterday was rough
but the words that followed
thrilled my heart in a way
that only a parent’s could
“but happy”
you would think that those
couple of words would be
a bar set low
an expectation of something
….well, often expected
but for you, my offspring,
life has had its fair share
of hard knocks
and tides have swept
out, out, out
never really coming back in
yet you always stand up
and up
and up again
yes, there is sorrow, tears
for things still lost
pain perhaps forthcoming
but today you said you are happy
and this is a magnificent thing
—celebrate the wins
heather pound 2024
Photo by Moriah Manford on Unsplash
every morning at present
a well-fed, shiny blackbird
perches on the trellis
next to my clothesline
and sings, talks and trills
to his heart’s content
it could be about attracting a mate
or a marking of territory thing,
but i choose to believe
that after a good rest and
a meal of bugs and worms
that he finds someplace high up
and sings for pure joy, grateful
just because he can
–embrace joy just because you can, too
heather pound 2024
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
i should have known
when the soda bottle cap
rolled across the filthy street
in that overcrowded city
and i ran to collect it, shopping bags waving
because i couldn’t get on the subway
with the bottle still open
and the heat was fierce
i should have known
when i picked it up, put it right back on top
regardless, and found myself thinking
things like “oh well, if i get sick
at least i’ll have a few full days
to rest…”
i should have known
that my wellbeing was teetering
on edge, that burnout
was grasping with bony fingers
imminent
i should have known then
—but now i do
and i have learned to watch
for signs of warning
much sooner than these
–wherever you are in this wide, wide world
take care of your own heart, too
heather pound 2024
Heather Pound 