Heather Pound

there is a section of towering trees

on the road i travel often

that in the autumn becomes

the most brilliant tunnel

of yellow

 

but for a time every spring

while the right side is covered

with a blanket of moss-green leaves

the left is naked still, barren

 

and i wonder if this has to do with

drainage or an underground stream,

roots that don’t go down as deep

strong wind

or simply because one side soaks up

more sun

 

yet every year reminds

how variations

in the most basic requirements

or placement

might all the difference make

 

how being in a state that is stripped

might simply be

because the nourishment required

has not been gathered yet

 

and buds and new growth will come

with simply a bit more

of a wait

 

                        –everyone has their own timing

 

heather pound 2024

Photo by Sam Dellaporta on Unsplash

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