I wonder if you can pause
—just for a moment—
the emergency of your life
and step out into
the quiet of the world.
Hear how gently it conveys
the delicate thread of birdsong,
how quickly it can soothe
the rupture of a passing jet.
Feel its vast, smiling invitation
to rest back into the person
you’ve been all your life.
Listen now–
the poppies bursting
out over the sidewalk
are electric with bees.
Look how they bury their bodies
in flower after flower, drunk
on their longing for the world.
Maybe that’s the real work:
to fall, over and over,
into the scent of what you love.
This poem is from my new book:
The poems in this book walk with you through seasons of heartbreak, rebirth, and homecoming. See all the details and where to get it here: