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Posts Tagged ‘small steps’

Small Things

Small things aren’t just important,

says my father. They’re everything.

And I think of how,

night after night, he’d lie

on his back on the floor

and bench press me

as I stood with one foot

in each of his hands.

Years later, every morning

he’d lift me with a phone call—

This is the Broadmoor. This is your

morning wake up call.

He’d say it in his snootiest,

haughtiest British butler voice.

And years later,

when we hold hands

he rubs his thumb across my thumb,

a small, familiar gesture of love.

Now, wishing I could hold

his hand while we sit

in different rooms together

a thousand miles away,

I can almost feel

the pad of his thumb

move across my knuckles

the way wind moves over water

and creates the weather.

It lifts me.

It’s everything.

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Eighteen Small Steps


Those who would climb to a lofty height must go by steps, not leaps.
—St. Gregory the Great, from a letter to Augustine of Canterbury

teach me crosswise
streets, how to believe
all directions are possible

*

at my next shindig,
inviting happiness
and grief
for a
ménage a trios

*

she’s got everything she needs
ever since she made best friends
with nothing

*

sitting on the bench
I wonder if adventure forgot
to RSVP
or I forgot
to send the invitation

*

I would like
to want
to be at a shindig,
but dang, this couch
is so darn soft

*

forgive me
if I spray paint your thoughts—
I just knew a little bright orange
would do you
a heap of good

*

what’s up
with all those shenanigans?
well, she said,
you can’t just have one,
can you?

*

I asked the quince
about pleasure—it said baby,
time to get reckless

*

what is there
not to love
about grace?
the shaman says
now try loving fear

*

omphaloskepsis—
nice idea, but whoever
says all answers
come from within has never
seen your belly button

*

what’s a rain dance
except a snow dance
just a few adventures early?

*

I think the world
is addicted
to paradox—
I think I am
addicted to the world

*

the world gave me light,
I wanted shenanigans—
oh foolish woman,
now surrounded by shenanigans
all I want is light

*

every once in a while,
peace
but hey, world,
the rest of the time
let’s dance

*

it’s not that I forgot
to stand in the light
it’s just
that darkness
was holding my hand

*

indecision settled in
like a fog—every morning I practice
turning myself into a sun

*

will you like me better
if I cover myself in chocolate
said my sorrow

*

with authenticity
as my compass, every road
is the right road

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