Bonus Poem

Dear friends,

On the first full day I spent at the property that my husband and I will soon turn into a farm, it happened to be my mother’s birthday. And I was ambushed by such a mix of gratefulness and grief, it nearly toppled me over. I was surprised once again, though perhaps I shouldn’t be, by how we can feel so alive and joyful, and so filled with sorrow at the very same time, the emotions braided inseparably. Deep thanks to all of you who have donated or become monthly members for helping to hold a piece of our dream with us, for making my Mom and Dad proud wherever they are now.

On My Mother’s BirthdayI break down beneath the gingko tree

beside the pond, steaming the lenses

of my glasses, the intensity with which

I miss my mother having only grown

over time—that she is not here to see

the land that will become our farm,

that she is missing out on grasshoppers,

the silver zip-and-flit of each dragonfly,

a whole armada of clouds passing above

and below, reflected in the still water.

Because death is a mystery, it’s impossible

to believe that any other existence could

match this one, a mother wren fleeing

her bowl of a nest but chattering at me

from a nearby branch. I care about my young,

she is saying without a single word,

please don’t hurt them. And here is my own

mother, present in a place she never

set foot on, having guided us to this house

we enter by passing through two ancient

maples whose leaves still reach for the sky.

We still care, she and my father are saying

without a single word, from whatever

hidden nest now holds them in the air.

I’m also thrilled to share about this upcoming poetry retreat (via Zoom webinar) that I will be offering on five Fridays from 1-2:30 pm ET, starting on October 16th (all sessions recorded and shared). Please join me if you can for what promises to be a celebration of poetry, heart, and spirit. We do have a limited number of half-off scholarships, so please message if you need one of those to attend. I am in awe of each of these special guests, and know you too will be bowled over by their wisdom and presence in these difficult times.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998353804022?aff=oddtdtcreator