Heather Pound

you are rightfully so very tired

of the season that you’re in,

branches barren and leaves

dormant for far, far too long.

 

and all you want is a bit of

springtime sun to filter through,

to warm those limbs, give

solace from the wretched chill.

 

–and let me say that i have empathy

extreme for this–

 

but i wish also to remind you soft

that winter is a season of much

progress indeed.

 

that while appearance is not

given of much beyond survival,

this is the time when roots grow

deep into soil, gathering nutrients

 

for the season to come.

accumulating goodness,

storing lifegiving water away

for warmer, but drier days ahead.

 

and while unpleasant, the tree

would not be prepared to bud

and blossom into leaves and bear

all kinds of delicious fruit

 

were it not for this season cold.  

so, keep on surviving. know that

this itself is victory. be assured

that this feeling of nakedness to

 

the world around does not mean

that you are not producing all kinds

of good and valuable things that just

need the change of season to flourish

 

bold. you have not seen the seasons

change as often as i have yet,

but as long as the earth keeps on

spinning–springtime always comes.

 

i will promise you this.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Fabrice Villard on Unsplash

you wave your hand and say that your

experience is not as painful as that

person over there somewhere so,

you shove those

emotions down,

minimalize.

 

but, i tell you this credible, there is

always, always someone who has

had it worse, more pain, more harm,

more broken,

 

yet that does not lessen the fact that

what happened to you was traumatic,

herculean even, and that it has left

its mark indelible.

 

this is not weakness, this is human

 

and the kindness you urgently need

is to tell your head it’s okay for

your heart to hurt, and demand

gentleness soft on its behalf.

 

it is okay to provide it with the air

that it desperately needs to breathe

so, healing can commence, and to

 

offer this on repeat as often as

required. this will not remove the

experience entire,

 

but will allow it to be knitted

into the fabric of your story in a way

that strengthens, not impairs, woven

right there into the middle

 

of so much that is good. and instead

of the wound growing ever larger  

and festering the longer ignored,

 

it will more manageable become

and will even add strength to your

bones in the end.

 

so, I beg you, do this now, as soon as

possible,

today.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash

the egg shakes and then it cracks

as the chick inside fights its way

into the wide,

wide world.

 

and while every parent wants

to ease the struggle,

soften the

journey,

lessen the blow, it is

 

essential that the chick must 

fight this battle for themselves.

for every great champion has

 

trained for the task and every

hero of legend has become strong

through the walk of life and the

lessons therein.

 

and everyone who does anything

of intrinsic value on this beautiful

ball of blue, is someone who has

also discovered that life isn’t so much

 

about what you do, but is first and

most importantly about the character

of who you are. and nothing can be

gained by a chick who has had

 

everything pried open for them

continual. this is the hope that every

parent must hold close to their chest

as they support their offspring

 

while allowing them to learn

to succeed

and even to fail

on their own.

 

perhaps this is the most difficult of

all lessons that a parent must

discover–when to

support

and when to

let go.

 

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Denis Rayson on Unsplash

if you do not feel you can handle

this life for even one more day,

there is reassuring news indeed.

 

your history does not your future

need to be.

 

if those feelings and memories

loom large and invite you to think

back where you have been,

 

then take a breath, and start again

–as many times as you may need–

and this life that you live today can be

 

increasingly distant from the one that’s been

as you lift your eyes and look to horizons

wide, different paths, alternate directions.

 

it may not feel like it

right in this moment,

but you, even and especially you,

have the power to make this happen,

 

to modify direction, no matter how small,

leads to enormous change, like arrows

drawn on page that start on the same

dot, but with the most minimal variation

grow increasingly apart with distance.

 

and this does not need to overwhelm,

the process can be as gentle as required,

and all these small, manageable things

together are mammoth in the end.

 

and i for one, cannot wait to see

what your life becomes.

 

and please remember, those burdens from

yesterday are far too heavy for this journey

ahead, so do not worry about when or

where or just how you do it—

 

but put them firmly down.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by s. asah. on Unsplash

if you try to ignore the ache, gloss over, avoid,

shove down,

 

sooner or later it will overwhelm, anxiety

or maybe even worse numb, which also

anesthetizes any sort of joy,

or exhausts, even for years.

 

in nature we remove oxygen for a flame to subside

but trauma and sadness must breathe  

be noticed, losses acknowledged.

 

because when sorrow can speak, even eventually,

the container it lives in grows and makes room

for many other things.

 

and would you really want to snuff it out entire?

because joy is the sister of heartache

and grief intermingles with so many amazing things

once there is enough space.

 

and joy comes in the morning

so, hold on for that first ray of sun.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Titouan COLOMB on Unsplash

yesterday, i met a former gangster,

who had left behind his erstwhile ways

and i asked what had supported

him the most, allowing this to happen.

 

he glanced up, pointed to the sky,

“i met my sister’s God,” he said.

and his face glowed with light internal

as he spoke of fresh paths

 

forged from the fires of experience

but altogether new. having lived as  

powerful thug, until scooped out,

empty and hopeless within

 

he discovered that what he really

required was not power–but grace

 

merely grace, this

 

more powerful than he had ever imagined.

then, “i am still a work in progress.” i nodded,

“aren’t we all in need of a shepherd?” and

as we parted ways i wondered of this

 

sister, who had lived quiet, faithful and

i would like to discover her story as well,

because there is always another story

laid beneath, linked to generations past

 

layer upon layer, voice upon voice.

and i know that being a listener of

stories, is a day and life well spent.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash

there it is again

that pesky thing that has been

nattering away inside your brain

all day and every day lately.

 

buzzing here and there

sapping energies

as you try your level best

to avoid its irritation

getting dutifully on with the day

 

but there it goes dashing and bouncing

and there you are, even more weary still.

 

this thing, it will continue to irritate

and just like a child in need

it will keep on saying, “look at me!”

until you stop all else

and attention give.

 

after all, don’t we all still have

that child still inside, the one that

desperately tries to speak,

 

aching to be heard and part of

the basics of our make up

that tells us what we need.

 

so, even when uncomfortable

inconvenient, reluctant even,

we must lean right in to listen

let it land upon and pierce the skin.

 

sometimes, whether you like it or not,

dear friend, you must just feel the sting

—because then the wound can heal.

 

Heather Pound 2023

photo by Cathi Geisler

it took me years to learn

that sometimes when

he says ‘nah, that’s ok’

what he really means is

‘yes—but only if you

care enough.’

 

and it took me time

to be intuitive enough

to know that it wasn’t

about the things, simple

things, like another

coffee or a treat,

 

he was fine without

them either way.

it was about whether

i cared enough to

plan and execute

the extra mile

—for him

 

and see needs and wants,

and act—just because.

to develop aptitude

and know him well

took time, with further

learning still ahead, but

is immeasurably worth it.  

 

—when your love is an ‘acts of service’ person and you are not.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by tabitha turner on Unsplash

i want to let you know

that when your friend is

feeling low

 

your advice is more than likely

the last thing that they need.

 

instead, sit right down beside

open your ears and eyes

up wide.

 

let them know they are not

alone, and resist that very

human urge to fix

or advise

or evaluate

and especially

most importantly

zealously

do not judge. 

 

give them your time

your regard, your presence.

make that place safe.

 

believe in them

and then together

sit and

just

simply

be….

 

and if any conversation occurs

then let them take the lead.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Angelo Pantazis on Unsplash

when i came into this world,

eyes wide and overwhelmed with wonder,

i deduced that there was light here

and that the light was good

and what i wanted most in this world

was to absorb as much of it as possible.

 

perhaps this is what has strengthened bones

when clouds have covered sun,

when the rains fell fierce

and darkness crept ever nearer.

 

and if i have only one thing

to bequeath to you

it is this,

 

be a seeker, absorber and

passionate follower of the light

and then, even by default,

be a bringer of light to all

that you meet.

 

this i believe with so much ferociousness

that i would give all that i have to grasp

the coattails of light’s last ray,

even for a moment more to bask  

in the glow.

 

so, breathe in light until there is no

room for darkness left within your

frame. let light grip your hand and

never fear darkness again.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Isumi Daizy via Unsplash