slight respite
from a day wrought
with surprise, I
believe this silence
punctuated with breaths
this alone on the floor
time to think is
an exceptional rarity
to be cherished
held carefully in quiet
long hands
with tiny spots of age.
[biographical note: I have just, in the space of one week’s time, found and moved into a new place, received news of my sister’s engagement, been offered multiple jobs, and been told the date of my half-sister’s wedding. I also eagerly await news of my cousin’s new baby and am dealing with the realization that I will be 30 this month… among other things! This follows 4 months of relatively static stale nothing after my life fell spectacularly apart in Jan. As you can imagine this quiet time is welcome today!]
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Multiple jobs, Jody?! Remarkable in this day and age. Congratulations!
Would you ever be interested, by the way, in contributing a column to betterlivingthroughbeowulf about how you have used literature to help you negotiate the challenges of life after St. Mary's? Which poems and books have proved useful?
absolutely Robin! (and thank you!) let me cook up some ideas and email you! it will be hard to narrow the selection down~ too many good writers out there!
Given the uncertainty of the job market these days, Jody, any stories about facing employment anxieties, and the works that helped you get through them, would be especially appreciated.