Poised, no longer
settled
you wait as every part of you sheds
what once was,
and is no longer
necessary.
This is a stanza from the only poem that’s ever been dedicated to me. It’s called “Prayer For The Wild Voice” by my fellow poet Cheryl Hellner and first appeared in Heron Dance, a journal of art and nature. I go back to it often during times of uncertainty or change.
Your pen, poised over an empty page
Your life, no longer settled
Your dwelling, shed of so much that is no longer necessary
You wait, and this waiting is active, physically exhausting, mindless. You prepare for the unknown, you listen for a voice within that must be set free. You set it free.