the plant at the top of my stairs could really use a new pot.
it’s grown heaps and i think would like to grow some more.
but i quite like the planter it’s in. the way the shiny
wavy bronze reflects the morning sun,
and the plant hasn’t died yet.
so now i must choose,
do i keep the container, aesthetically pleasing
because i pretty much purchased the plant
in order to use the pot?
(this is the easy choice
requiring no effort or action
other than to continue the weekly water)
or do i shift my gaze to the beautiful plant within
glossy and alive, deep pine-tree green,
and do the work, invest a bit, provide it the space to live
and flourish more beautiful still?
and metaphorically i wonder then how often we choose
the container we’re living in, beautifying the exterior
wearing shiny masks for others, limiting our growth
and settling for a familiar, root-bound way of living
instead of doing the bit of work we need
to thrive?
—philosophical thoughts because of a potted plant
heather pound 2025
today i choose to gather
dewy-fresh, not yet dried by the sun
soft green stems, unaffected by wind
bits and pieces present, but often brushed aside unnoticed.
i will gather joy, not because it is scarce, but because without it how is a life to be lived?
it is the food that sustains us, yet we try to survive
with stolen morsels, a guilty pleasure
quickly consumed lest someone else notice, then back to more important things at hand.
but what is a life without joy?
grasp it by the face and kiss its mouth.
it is companionship not only sweet but necessary to ease the cracks in our souls, to soften calloused flesh within.
i will gather joy now while it may be found
like jewels layered beneath thick autumn leaves,
not really hidden, yet inconspicuous, unseen
until you pay attention and catch the glimmer
where the sun breaks through the trees and shines,
and bending down you rustle and grasp that which sparkles to put it in your pocket.
— let the gathering of joy become a habit.
This is the very first poem in my book “Known.” I put it there to set the tone, to somewhat summarise the ethos of its pages. The book’s not about the concept of joy specifically, but each poem is intended to encourage intentionality in the way that we live, a slowing down to notice, to pick up savour all of the bright and beautiful in the midst of the rest, to feed our souls. Just like taking a minute to read a poem!
Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash
my parents had a volkswagen bus
baby blue on bottom, white on top
and i have no idea why, but i remember
exactly where the spare key hid.
that kombi van took us everywhere
for a very long season, to shop and church
to lessons and to my brother’s soccer
games where our dad became the coach,
even though he’d never played, because no
one else would.
and each year, at least once, it drove us
eight hours north to the place where
my parents came from.
the place where a good share of my cousins
still live. yet my folks were adventurous
enough to move far away.
but on the return from one family voyage
in that beloved bus, we arrived at our home
yawning and green
and later learned the engine exhaust
had crept back up though heating vents
into our waiting lungs.
and we were fortunate, really, to escape
with just bodies efficiently working
to evacuate the carbon monoxide
(although it didn’t feel great at the time!)
still, i invariably look with fondness
upon the odd kombi van i see, reminding
me of family fun and adventures
and of my parents,
who although they lived fairly normal lives,
didn’t always just follow the norm—
and how their example
gave me the courage to do the same.
Photo by Ingo Doerrie on Unsplash
those people who do not know you,
all the in’s and out's of what makes you
you: abilities and talents
experience and knowledge
all the ways you’ve grown
the various hats you’ve not just
owned, but learned to wear
with ease
do not hand them the keys
to your value,
which does not begin
nor end
based upon their opinion
whatsoever
just because they do not yet
appreciate your worth
does not diminish even
a fraction of an inch
of who you are
so, hold those keys
tight between two hands,
or even in your pocket
well and truly out of reach
until they have in reality earned
the right for their opinion
to matter to you
at all
Photo by Jared Subia on Unsplash
from my book “Known”
i am certain my cat can read my mind
because as soon as i merely consider
that i must get up from my chair and into my day
upon my lap she climbs
purring, wait a little longer, tarry, do not rush.
stay right here with me
and let us commune
in peace.
and often, if schedule permits,
i listen to her wisdom ancient
for a time.
heather pound 2025
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash
You’re not perfect, but you’re perfectly enough for whatever your purpose is…..
today is not a task to be accomplished
a never-ending trail of crumbs
to vacuum up
a series of chaotic moments
all bundled up together
until the sunshine sets
if this this is how you live your days
always chasing the horizon
you will miss those glimmers of joy
sparkling moments unexpected
that just might arrive upon
your very next breath
when you notice how sunshine feels
on cold winter skin
or marvel the way daffodils bloom
bright and unexpected
as you relish their saffron glow
on a grey and windy day
therefore, breathe in deep
for lungs to expand,
allow your belly to rise
and dance into this day
not simply to get through it—
but to live your hours invested,
gathering those radiant moments
in grateful, longing hands
for each and every day
holds the possibility
of pockets of happiness
if you only create the space
heather pound 2025
Photo by Michał Bińkiewicz on Unsplash
when i live for ‘me’
i wonder why things don’t go my way often
how dreadful things continue to happen
and it seems that questions like these
lead down the path towards despair
but when i live for ‘we’
i remember there are more substantial things
than my personal happiness constant
and recall that my efforts unnoticed
are worth doing still
how experiences difficult grew me
that the support of others heals
and allows me to walk beside
someone else now
that assisting another today
is fulfilling
laden with meaning
important
worthwhile
heather pound 2025
photo by A. C. for Unsplash+
🌿There are times when we must help ourselves first and this is okay. But living that way continually is hollow. And lonely. The best way to live is a beautiful flow of mutual support, in community. This is often easier said than done, but worth searching for. When you find your people, hold on to them— but keep your circle open to embrace others, too!🌿
