i close the door
& walk out of the building
& wait
this can be a beginning
or an ending
or maybe a middle muddled situation
or a detour
my feet & lungs are anxious
to know of my decision
there are many choices
but by now,
i write my story on sands
and journal my walks on origami paper
these are not set on stones
but built on windy re-takes and mid-
night revisions
for every decision - this is
which comes with one big exhale of relief
there is hundred fold sharpness of - this is not
but here is tricky part
you learn to live with this over time
-the fullness & emptiness of it-
& if you are lucky,
you will have your 2nd or 10th time around
the time carousel
and this time, you can make <another> choice-
-witness the first sunrise or sunset-
with the eyes of a child
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub: Poetics : Choice by guest host, Christopher Reilley. Join us when the pub doors open at 3 pm EST.
I can really feel the anxiousness of each choice, and each choice takes you through a new path with endless new beginnings with no way to untangle the trees of decisions to return to where you started... love that beginning.
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking, Grace, truly. I love the concept of journaling on origami paper. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the way the hesitation of the opening stanza develops into an internal conversation, then a physical reaction, building up to that wonderful stanza:
ReplyDelete‘i write my story on sands
and journal my walks on origami paper
these are not set on stones
but built on windy re-takes and mid-
night revisions.
A wonderful way to describe a poet’s choices.
The first stanza sets the stage for a mood of intrigue.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting poem
Muchđź’–love
I could sense the conflict decision making brings the narrator, and I loved how she overthinks the very act of choice making. Very clever!
ReplyDeleteThis is stunning Grace! Your muse was solidly in place on your shoulder for this one. So damned well written, so strong a vision. Wow!
ReplyDeleteGreat poem Grace. So many choices seem to change at a moment's notice in our society today.
ReplyDeleteGreat ending. I like the idea of another choice opening fresh eyes.
ReplyDeleteLove this one, Grace. I found I was holding my own breath as I read it. Masterful.
ReplyDelete'Dream your dreams about what YOU
ReplyDeletewant to do in Heaven; dare to ask for
the impossible and all the gifts YOU
have ever wanted from Me. Expect Me
to hear YOU and fulfill your every desire'
-Jesus •(from 'Lui et Moi' [He and I] by
Gabrielle Bossi, French writer, translated)•
☆ en.gravatar.com/MatteBlk ☆
God! Bless! You!
I lived in Nebraska growing up, thought that was what the world was like. Then I moved south, settled in Texas. A whole lot different, but it is sooo very hot here in the summers.
ReplyDeleteCan't win for losing.
..
The first three stanzas really got me wondering what happened, and what the choices were. I could feel the agony over having so many choices and not knowing enough to choose. The rest of the poem, the self reflection and the eventual realization, was written so beautifully that it left me in awe.
ReplyDeleteFor me ... your second stanza speaks for humankind ... this is an epic write, Grace.
ReplyDelete"but built on windy re-takes and mid-
ReplyDeletenight revisions"...how true, Grace and what a gorgeous write!
This piece speaks to me. As I grow older I generally feel less anxious about my choices. I know myself better and have more clarity. Yet any important choice can feel just as you described.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this stanza.
i write my story on sands
and journal my walks on origami paper
these are not set on stones
but built on windy re-takes and mid-
night revisions
It speaks to an ongoing commitment to grow with every choice.
Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful articulation of the process of choice. I like your advice at the end, of trying to see the world with new eyes each morning.
ReplyDeleteI was hooked by the first stanza of beauty, Grace!
ReplyDelete