What I’ve Learned

The Sunday Whirl: Wordle #243
http://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com

stand, line, stones, journey, still, cycle,
atoms, source, sky, born, tell, return

Sunday’s Whirligig: Wordle #51
http://sundayswhirligig.blogspot.com/

black, beige, drought, oaks, warblers, branches,
surprise, open, arms, fly, aiming, feeders

Poets United: Poetry Pantry #294
http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/

Photo from the Internet

What I’ve Learned

Took a stand, embraced my journey.
Told my story, with all of its surprises.
Returned to sources with open arms
aiming myself at small atoms of understanding.

Some were like black branches of an oak
tree, reaching for the sky, while holding
colorful warblers who sang in celebration
simply because they were born to do so.

Others were like the beige sand of drought,
a line of heavy stones, forever stilled
without meaning. Unable to fly, they
could feed me nothing.

But, even in those dry cycles, I learned.
Could clearly see what I would never want
to become: a singer without music, a poet
with no words, living in a world

lacking all color.

Elizabeth Crawford  3/20/2016

Notes: It’s been a rough week. My oldest daughter is back in the hospital (third time in two weeks). Turns out she’s been having a series of mini strokes. She is slowly recovering and they’ve adjusted her meds and are doing therapy. Meanwhile, I’ve been struggling with a head cold that doesn’t want to quit. Decided a poem might help settle me down. Got the two word lists, but couldn’t figure out anything. Blank wall. Last night, I took one last look with the notion that I had to at least make one more attempt. Found that first stanza and the words sort of sang themselves into place. Whew! This one is definitely biographical.

I used all of the words in some form. The image is from the internet. I simply like that cocked head and knowing look, it seems really familiar.