Heather Pound

when the wind blows in situations that require

us to change, i have heard that reinvention of 

oneself for the next season might be necessary

~~~~

and while i find that somewhat true, i wonder if

the more accurate and even urgent requirement is

to peel back self to layers hidden, forgotten within

~~~~

back before society wrote a thesis titled ‘failure’

or ‘victim,’ or the bully spoke those lines that

begin the sentence of who you think you are today

~~~~

right back to where summer meant the tickle of grass 

between twirling toes and the catching of fireflies 

was adventure at dusk, where anything felt possible 

~~~

and was in imagination unrestrained, and delving the 

depths of your qualities and definition of character was 

a peaceful contemplation as you drifted off, exhausted

~~~

and if life did not grant you experiences such as these 

then do not delay. do it gently, but mine down deep

discover and foster yourself back into existence

~~~~

you might just be surprised

~~~~

who you were made to be from dust and fashioned 

into blood and bone, but more importantly heart

and passion, what makes you tick and thrive

~~~~

and take these, nothing more and nothing less

into unchartered territory ahead, look toward 

and seek the light—and come home

~~~~

©Heather Pound 2022

i bring you my list of worries

and fears, transactional even

unrefined, and i know that you 

will listen because i am like 

a child and you my parent 

and infinitely more besides

~~~~

but in the process of telling

you come close, and while i don’t

see your form or examine your

face, i know the feel of you well

how you comfort and hold my heart

and sooth my mind with light 

~~~~~

and i stop and realize that while

i still don’t know the future 

or how i will handle today 

and while i long to see things

miraculous and dazzling, and

at times i have, that your nearness

~~~~

is really all that i need for now

and knowing that you are close 

and care more than anyone ever 

has or ever possibly could 

invites me into things like peace

and joy and calms the waves within

~~~~

so i take your hand, always outstretched

and i hang on tight once again

i will take the next step different

and sure because you are my help

and even when my hand grows weary

of holding on–you will never let go of mine

~~~~

©Heather Pound 2022

sometimes when i write a poem i look for

the freedom of flowing waves and words like the tide

that soothe the mind and calm the heart

and find myself instead–writing–in a–rhythm

that–directs–me where–to go

~~~

and I stop. and i gaze out the window at the circling birds and

palm trees waving in the breeze, with sounds of boats cavorting

at a distance, feeling free and unrestrained, turn back to page

and write–like at—piano–with a–ticking–metronome

~~~~

it reminds me that sometimes we feel more fluid

thoughts come easily, deep ponderings expressed with ease

we thrive on expression and feel connected to others

we have excess energy and feel strong. yet some days

we cannot think, we cannot speak, we’ve been too busy

with not much sleep

~~~~

and that’s okay, because the tide will change

and smoothness will come again

the important thing is that we just keep trying

and sometimes the things we need to express are too close

to our hearts to share yet with ease

~~~~

–it might be easier said than done, but it’s important to accept ourselves wherever we are at today

©Heather Pound 2022

©Heather Pound 2022

image:Canva

i leave the pegs on the clothesline, waiting

instead of gathering them in

like some would maintain

that i that should do

~~~~

and today they playfully cavort

twisting in the wind, merrily coloured

hanging on for dear life–and succeeding

just as they were designed

on this otherwise dismal day

~~~~

and i imagine if i were a peg

that this is what i’d prefer

i could be lying safely inside

but in a box, restrained

~~~~

no, i would rather embrace the gale

–and DANCE

~~~~

©Heather Pound 2022

i hear the clock tick, saying:

-get-

-on-

-your-

-way-

jobs to be done, things to accomplish

but still

—i pause

to take in the day, this momentary peace

~~~~

i learn to take the pause, remember to be present

just look out the window:

the motion of the clouds

the soft movement of the palms

their fingerlike wave of ‘hello’ to the morn

with soft pink floss embracing the blues

the sky also wakes

~~~~

i let eyes wander to soak it all in

connecting me to the now, first

~~~~

i remember who i am is not what i do

you can do lots of things, but not really be

if we focus on the step that’s coming

we miss all of the now

then i wonder do we really even live

~~~~

this space, the foundation

the thing that carries me

my connection to the source

~~~~

the clock still ticks, but now it speaks different:

-stay-

-present-

-be-

-still-

—take the pause, devotedly and often

©Heather Pound 2022

living much of life ‘on alert’

hoping we are enough

to get through what is next

instead of soaking in the moment

~~~~

enjoying the now

gathering the goodness

of what each hour has to offer

relishing the flavour, the texture

~~~~

—what trauma may have stolen

is dreadful

but the last laugh is coming

and is ours to reclaim

~~~~

©Heather Pound 2022

today

look at someone you love

and say:

~~~~

“you don’t need

to do a thing

or be a thing

or achieve

any single thing

to be valued–

you just are”

~~~~

repeat that again to some

people that

mean the world

from a heart that truly

believes it for those

that you adore

~~~~

then look in the mirror

and say it again—

for that is also true

~~~~

©Heather Pound 2022

we often think that courage looks like

scaling mountains or leaping out of planes

~~~~

it might be fighting the fires of danger

or standing up for someone when the crowd retreats

but it is also opening the heart again after hurt or loss–or worse

~~~~

it is following a dream or risking rejection once again

it is finding a spark of hope in the darkness

or choosing to see the good in the mess

~~~~

but sometimes courage is simply just getting out of bed

~~~~

—no matter what your courage looks like today, it is worth celebrating!

©Heather Pound 2022