Life Is Full of Sweet Spots

 

Breathe in.     Slowly.

Trace it

to the core

of my spirit.

So tired.

Shadows

aren’t meant

to be sharp.

Why did I stop

gathering life’s

simple flowers,

closing my eyes

to their beauty,

letting them slip

through my hands

to the ground?

Flowers need sun

to shine.

What happened

to their joyful faces?

Something is keeping me

from singing,

from dancing,

the blossoms from following the light.

Breathe deep,

once more.

Breathing is seeing.

Breathe in.

Follow it

to the cradle of my soul

with its blanket of peace.

Start over.

Open my eyes,

let them see,

let them find.

Find the beginning.

The good that was lost.

Open my hands. Let them touch,

let them feel,

let them take hold

of the sunflower yellows

with their burnished and petaled heads.

Notice how they stand tall

in rows and untarnished rows,

tipping their bright faces,

waving their halos of sun.

Breathe in.

Breathe deep.

Close my eyes

to the walls,

to the dark,

to the past.

Not

to the light.

Written by invitation for the 2011 Poetry Writing Program of the Touchstone (Litchfield, CT) residential treatment program serving girls between 12 and 18 who are committed to the Department of Children and Families. Photos and text by Mary O’Connor © 2011

Finding joy is an ongoing journey. Find out more about the steps along the way in my book, Life Is Full of Sweet Spots.