Heather Pound

you hang your head in

sorrow because you do

not know the crown

unseen that sits upon it.

 

you do not remember

that there is a life lived

full and wild and free

of experiences to draw

 

upon and that your

worth has nothing to

do with what you do,

but with who you have

 

become and who you

have been when you knelt

alone on bathroom floor

before your hardest day

 

when your view of hope

was dim and uncertainty

all around, and who you

have become as you kept

 

on walking anyway, trying 

to be faithful even though

broken. you, yes you, are

still here and you are worthy

 

of things that are good, of

life left to be lived, of gifts

unexpected yet to be given.

so, do not give up, my dear,

 

raise your head, straighten

crooked crown, know when

to accept assistance along the

way and remember

 

who you are.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Lily via Unsplash

the tui comes and

perches elegant

feathers flashing

white chin bobbing

 

and i appreciate what a

stunning specimen of

feathered friend he is

before he shoots off

swift.

 

a few winks later an

altogether different

sort of fowl arrives

to take his place.

 

plume merrily bobbing

at top of head,

feather’s fluffed but

muted.

 

roly-poly and round,

i wonder how he

managed to jump that

height into bush at all!

 

and yet, this brother

quail is gloriously

turned out as well.

 

there is enough room

within beauty for them

both, different

as they are.

 

and thankfully

there is enough  

appreciation

for each of us

within infinite

variations as well.

 

likewise, let us not

be harsh around

our own quirks

and diversifications

 

for keen observers

of species human

-and i am one of these-

never tire of our

glorious and splendid

fluctuations too.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Cathi Giesler

when the future

that you want

is coming ever

slow

 

take a moment

and consider

today

 

what is good

and honest and

true. right here,

right now, in

this space

 

and i think that

you will discover

that there is more

joy today than

you think

 

more reasons to

laugh out loud

and rejoice than

you thought you

would

 

and when that

future finally

arrives, you will

find that you

have already

been content

 

more than you

ever imagined  

you could

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Dustin Humes via Unsplash

i hope someday to have a

seat in a window, the kind

that opens to a garden

or the sea.

 

the kind that is sat at

while the heroine dreams

and gains clarity for the

battle ahead.

 

knees drawn up, book

lying beside, cup of tea

in hand.

 

i wonder if dreams like

these sometimes keep us

from getting started

because the ‘scene’ is not

quite set.

 

if only we had

the window seat or perfect

sunlit, quiet room, we would

 

write that book,

compose that song,

paint that picture,

sing to our heart’s content,

gain that vison or goal

that would give life

more meaning.

 

when the truth is

that if we do not intentionally

choose, we will never start 

at all

 

and sometimes those perfect

scenes are just a state of mind

that are within our power to

choose, to foster, to create

all along.

 

so, find a place of ease

wherever you are at and

 

hold that pen

grasp that brush

strum that instrument

mindfully plan that objective

 

and do not go another day

without using that natural

gift, growing that talent,

doing that thing you were

born to undertake

 

and the world will be

richer for it, and your heart

will be infinitely more as well.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Sixteen Miles Out via Unsplash

you ask why you need

to forgive when you are not

the one that committed

the deed, that caused the pain,

that left an indelible mark.

 

and i smile and reply soft,

that forgiveness is not about

them, it is critically more

about you.

 

it does not excuse what they

did, but rather protects your

already hurting heart from

further damage, from

bitterness growing deep

into bones.

 

forgiveness means that

freedom for you

is on the way

and heralds

its approach loud.

there it is

 

just beneath the surface.

be patient as it blows

away dust, brushes out

cobwebs sticky and

your heart will

shine again.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Mohammad Alizade via Unsplash

when the invitation

to the party

comes and you

do not feel

qualified to attend,

remember

all the work that

you have done,

how far that

you have come,

and let that ‘ol

imposter syndrome

bounce back

from where it came.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Catalin Pop via Unsplash

we hunger

not only for bread,

but for the things

that truly fill the soul

 

distraction and pleasure are

a quick fix that disappear

like candy floss in rain

and are about as substantial

as this, too

 

desperately searching in the desert

for sustenance, we realize that the

place of deprivation has dissolved

superfluous things that we don’t

really need for the journey

 

unwholesome baggage that just takes

up space like self-criticism, insecurity

and fears. and as they shift and melt

away, they leave us space for more

 

for those hearty, healthful things

that stick to our ribs, bring a glow

to our cheeks and give us strength

for the journey ahead

 

—however uncomfortable, there is often purpose in those desert seasons.

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Katerina Kerdi via Unsplash

i hope that

you consider

that on this road

that makes up

life, that you

just might

find hope,

and inspiration

and purpose

and that you

might even

experience

fulfilment

in the end.

 

these things

are possible

and everything

like this that

you have ever

longed for

can exist.

 

and today may

be thick with

darkness

but that

does not

negate the

reality

that there

is light.

 

–there is always, always hope.

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Alex Padurariu via Unsplash

self-care does not 
merely mean 
time out with friends 
or bubble baths. 
yes, these things 
are lovely, but 
self-care honours 
habits more 
significant 
than these.

it might be 
showing yourself 
the compassion that 
you might routinely 
offer others and 
then presenting 
yourself a pass
to imperfection
as well.

it may be living by the 
values you hold dear
because they form 
who you are and
you will not thrive 
if you are not true 
to these. 

things like integrity, 
standing up for 
fairness, humility, 
loyalty and respect. 
whatever is the 
bedrock of your soul, 
and what makes 
your particular 
personality tick. 

then there is lifting up 
your very own voice 
in situations that matter,
embracing and 
expressing the 
power that you wield 
as valuable human. 

and last, but most 
definitely not least,
keeping boundaries
that protect and 
serve and allow 
you to respect
yourself 
and others. 

these are all 
significant parts
of caring for you. 
these assist you 
to recharge
and flourish, 
to grow and 
to be healthy
for yourself
and others
long-term. 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Giulia Bertelli via Unsplash

come to the place that is rest

softly. you do not need to

shout it loud. it is fine if

you can only stumble

through the door, but

just make sure you

come.

 

and as you take off your

shoes to lay by streams

of peaceful waters, you

will find that all of the

striving has made you

weary, more than you

realized, and that quiet

is productive, too.

 

and that it is good to linger

in this space where you

can let those burdens go,

where you can evaluate

what is yours to bear

–or not

 

what flowers you want to

gather, what memories

you wish to make, what

are the priorities that you

will intentionally choose

once you arise.

 

and as your mind calms

to the peaceful rhythm of

the brook, you simply let

thoughts go. And you will

find rest for your soul

 

and just be.

 

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Oleksandra Bardash/Unsplash