Heather Pound

you can sit right down

and endeavour to create,

but this mystical

force is not found

in one moment,

at one place,

or in one time.

 

no, inspiration

must live

and breathe

from day to day

by noticing the

music of the

insignificant,

 

attuning the ear

to the unspoken,

being in the

moment enough

not only to notice,

but to chase the

beauty therein.

 

so, if creativity is

your aim, you must

first take the time

to be awake,

to engage,

and to be present

 

with the appropriate

astonishment necessary

to capture the fireflies

of imagination glowing

as they flit past on the

evening breeze fresh.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash

she paced by the roadside anxious and confused,

feathers even whiter with the dullness of the day,

and i wondered why she waited.

 

but there he was upon the road, not long breathless

and still, wings outstretched.

 

and i hoped the driver had at least slowed if they

possibly could, but perhaps it was an accident entire.

 

i was surprised at how quickly and intensely

i identified with her pain, and confusion, and

anxious gait, restless.

 

if only there was something she could do, she could try,

she could produce to save the other, yet her world

had changed sudden, instant.

 

and i began to smell the heat of morning sun, hear

insects buzz and pigeons coo, the humidity

press against my skin, especially this,

 

from the day i felt the same as the father of my children

lay on kitchen floor, not by any accident external,

but sudden violence from within.

 

…it is funny how senses recall even when concrete

memory blurs…

 

and yet i took the next breath and the next, both back then

and on the road today

 

and remembered how all the breaths in-between had taught

me many things

 

how to slow, how to regulate, how not to slide into panic

overwhelming, sudden.

 

my senses still went back to that place, but neural pathways

have rewired, and even though a hot white horror lingered

for some moments in my chest,

 

my head knew that that was then and this was now and that

for myself, nothing had changed today.

 

and as i drove onward, still sympathetic for that frantic duck,

i breathed in deep and satisfied for myself, because

even though PTSD is a taskmaster brutal and visits

 

inconvenient, that does not mean it is a helpless sentence

life-long. and for myself, thanks to the passing of years,

hours spent talking to professionals, practice,

and boundless Grace,

peace and freedom have mostly come and have

remained.

 

—if you experience PTSD, please know that there is hope on the journey ahead, but ask for help anyway.

Heather Pound 2023

photo by Cathi Geisler

it sounds a bit

cliché to say

but in every

sense and in

every way

 

my home is

where you are.

 

the longer

we’re together

wherever

that may be,

our roots go

down to earth

and intertwine.

 

our hearts,

they beat

in time.

 

it’s not the place

where we

reside, it’s

the person

we’re beside

 

and you

are always,

continually,

increasingly,

committedly 

my home.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

other people’s expectations

of how you should walk,

talk, dress, relate, perform,

and many other things

are not your burden to bear.

 

do not allow them to cage

you in. for while some of

their advice might be of use,

you get to choose what that

is or what that is not entire.

 

to accept their unfettered

opinions without discernment

creates nothing more than

a prison that keeps you

bound up tight,

 

while you are the one that holds

the lock and the key. so do not

look for approval from those

who would rather see you

bound.

 

in those meaningless interactions

with those that pass you by, you

also can decide how to interpret

their glances as either

judgement or approval.

 

and why do you often not even

consider the source, looking for

admiration from those you do

not even value. keep a tight rein

on whose opinions matter,

 

place yourself high upon that list.

evaluate the expectations of others

and if you choose to, stretch out

capable hands—and let

                them

    go.

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Taylor Kopel on Unsplash

if you have people in your life

who cheer you on and believe

in you to grow and do greater

things and to be better as well,

you are fortunate.

 

do not take them for granted.

 

foster these relationships

worth a king’s ransom

for they are the balm of

the soul weary and the

inspiration to get up

and try again.

 

and if you are one of these

people to me, i cannot express

how much even your cup of

cool water has nourished

and given me strength

and allowed me to

 

believe that i am not wasting

my time as i grow and try to do

better and be better and to

encourage those around me

as well.

 

and anything that i bring to

this table in the feast of life,

could not and would not

have been prepared

 

without people

like you.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

photo by Cathi Geisler

yes, i have opinions

about most things

just like everyone else

but i do not believe

that you need to

hear all of mine

at every point

and turn.

 

otherwise you will

grow tired of my

voice and will not

hear or heed my

words when they

may be important

indeed.

 

instead, i will

carefully choose

at what point my

thoughts may or

may not bring

value to your

existence,

 

if they are helpful

or wise. and even

then i will do my best

to be as kind as a

meadow full of

flowers in bloom

on a day in spring

 

which is a very frilly

concept, i realize, but

makes the point that

making the world

more beautiful is

much more important

than simply being heard.

 

and that we do not

bring value to ourselves

by trying to always be

right, and we certainly

don’t add value for

others if that is our

focus.

 

—we need to consider the colour that we want to add to the world.

©Heather Pound 2023

photo by Cathi Geisler

image:Canva

©Heather Pound 2023

there is something about

an old friend, someone who

has known you for years

and years.

 

and even if you haven’t

seen them for quite some

time, it’s as if an old language

re-emerges, one that is

 

stored in the back of the

brain and just needs a

quick dust and spit polish

to become fluent once again.

 

and the dialect is unique

to you and them and while

others may understand

the conversation’s gist,

 

they cannot comprehend

the full kaleidoscope of

memories and experiences

that come alive as if they

 

were yesterday. this thread

that links and beautifies

the treasured gift that is

old friends.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash

you, the one who is not

as fresh faced as once upon

a time. you, the one who

is disillusioned or just

plain tired. you, the one

who started out spreading

love like butter, but did

not love yourself much

in return.

 

i want to tell you that you

are not on your way out

or on the downside of

some metaphorical hill,

you are growing into

what you wanted to

become all along.

 

you have discarded the dross,

the parts of yourself that

caused others pain.

improved your character,

healed past hurts,

learned to prioritize,

made important life

connections,

 

and now is your time to shine.

you are not on your way out,

you have just found your way

in–into your own skin in a way

that you never have before.

 

so, celebrate this victory,

bask in the glow of your not

small at all accomplishments.

take the time to look back and

remember just how far you have

come.

 

then go out into the present,

remember who you are,

straighten your shoulders,

and sparkle unfettered

as starlight.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

on our last holiday

we panned for gold.

tip water in, shake,

gently pour.

releasing dirt,

sand, and pebbles

over and over until

all that was left

were small flecks

of gold

that sit now in a

vial on a shelf in

our room, a reminder

of a time well spent,

–together.

and now i think how

much like us this is.

each time we commit

to dip into the waters

together, more and more

of the things that we

brought with us from

before filters away.

each time we feel the

shake of circumstances,

the grit surrounding us

us loosens and floats

to be cast aside.

every time we address

troubles we face and

choose each other

once again each

and every day,

the sand separates

and departs.

and in this patient,

steady process

we have found

much more

than specks

of gold.

we have found

nuggets solid,

and veins golden

running through

and throughout

the treasure

that makes

up us and

grows more

evident each

day that we

pan this life

–together.

©Heather Pound 2023

Fifteen years ago today, my husband took on not only me, but 4 kids who really needed a dad and has loved them as his own ever since. And life as a couple still just keeps getting better and better!