Kaitlin, I was quite moved by the pictures, and then along came your poem. Love all the ways we can embrace and be embraced. Here is my short reflection/poem...
"my arms cannot find a comfortable position in which/to hold it all" really got me— I feel like you perfectly describe a feeling that I've had a hard time putting into words. Thank you for this!
I am so moved by the concept of a tender transition... I find myself caught up in the middle of some upheaval right now, and the image of being tender through it as I try to find my feet is so comforting. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this poetry week. I have been needing to sit down and write for a deadline and this time is so special for me to sit down and let the words flow.
Kaitlin, I was quite moved by the pictures, and then along came your poem. Love all the ways we can embrace and be embraced. Here is my short reflection/poem...
EMBRACE
Sweet breezes, caress my heart
tender nudges, reminding me
of the song within my soul
that longs to be sung.
beautiful, Julie!! So glad you're here
Thank you for this invitation, Kaitlin.
Here's a go:
I am trying to keep
loving this world:
marigold, zinnia,
city breeze and
harvest dust gritty
on my eyes.
The hops vines entangle
themselves and each
other, embrace themselves,
and I keep wondering
what it feels like in my
achy body to love and
know I am loved back
just as strong--in a world
cracking apart some days
with its own collapse.
And also:
my son fell asleep last
night, beside me, for the
first time in years, and
his breath was steady
on my neck. His feet
were warm against my leg.
My sore bones sank
into something like quiet.
A dry leaf skidded beyond
the window in the breeze.
This is so, so beautiful and tender. Thank you!
What beautiful imagery! This really moved me.
This is such a beautiful, visceral poem that I felt an ache in my own heart as I read it. Thank you for these exquisite words.
"Embrace"
-
Gather it in, everything
that you wish you could push away—
gather it in like the fruit of autumn
and hold it in a great round woven bowl:
the needle jabs and bloodwork,
the not-yets and the try-agains,
the early-morning appointments
and disappointments
and phone calls and blurry thoughts.
Gather it up:
these are yours.
You cannot forsake them.
Hold them close on your hip like a child;
you cannot put them down
so you might as well bring them in close
and embrace them.
This brought tears to my eyes, thank you for sharing your heart with us
Thank you for giving me the space to do so! Even in just a few words, I feel like it really helped me process some things.
"Hold them close on your hip like a child" -- so beautiful and powerful. Thank your for sharing your poem.
Thanks so much for reading!
I am striving to embrace the realities of this season, yet
my arms cannot find a comfortable position in which
to hold it all.
Maybe because of the pain that is so cyclical,
these arms weary at the thought of extra weight.
Perhaps they have tired from being raised in praise
of a god that does not look like me.
They are also, always, partially full;
cradling the emotional well-being of two small humans,
hoping to have the space to show them the beauty and power
of a self-embrace.
love this so much!! so glad you're here :):)
So so grateful to be!!
"my arms cannot find a comfortable position in which/to hold it all" really got me— I feel like you perfectly describe a feeling that I've had a hard time putting into words. Thank you for this!
🥰🤗
To be touched is to be overwhelmed
Sensations forced on me
Flooding my brain with unwanted signals
I become aware of every centimeter spaced between the fingers pressing on my back
Every woven cloth fiber that makes up the shirts on the touching bodies
Every bone under my hands
Every muscle pressed to my chest
Every second passing as I wonder
“Is this too long?
“Is it too tight?
“Am I conveying something beyond just hello?”
When a hand lands on my shoulder, I jump
When arms brush my own, I skitter away
There is safety in the open space around my body.
The transition came when the safety could be found in the open space around another’s body
And when it was conveyed that the length and pressure and existence of touch
Could simply
Exist.
Thank you so much for sharing
I still remember hardly able to breathe when her hand brushed mine.
Thank you.
THE SMALLEST VIOLIN IN THE WORLD PLAYING
🎵 MY HEART BLEEDS FOR ME 🎵
40 years embracing work.
46 if you count the navy.
(yeah, thanks for my service).
what do I embrace now?
I don't like starting over.
my tools are rusty.
my skills fallow.
And I can't find my glasses.
So glad you're here Chuck!
👋
I always love your words and images, Kaitlin. Thank you. And as a 51-year-old mother of 10-year-old twins, I know from transitions 😌
Embrace the unknown!
Move on!
No risk, no reward, right?
Easy to say, harder to trust
When life arrives in gusts of unknowns
Like tangled limbs of branches
That I struggle to hold
My arms unaccustomed to reaching
For something other than the steadfast
Presence of my partner
And my daughters’ gentle curling limbs
Light on my back
Their breath on my shoulder
When the world requires too much,
I remember their loving arms
That reassurance
Like a hand on the small of my back
That says, you’ve got this
And we’ve got you.
yes yes, beautiful!
Translated literally, I find,
"embrace" means "in arms,"
as you are held in mine,
and I can't help but think of how different
the world might be
if we just held each other more,
if we saw that as strength,
.
if "up in arms" meant something more
like being embraced.
yes yes--and I love some translation in poems! :)
So happy to have this reminder to write again - it is like my mind is just waiting for this chance!
Embrace
I embrace how far I've come
I embrace the hope I have
I embrace the support I feel
I embrace the place I'm in
And as I look back
I give myself grace
to embrace
all that was
all that has gone
all that never can be
And feel the comfort
of the sparks of joy
in the unexpected moments
of connection
perhaps at a distance
but ever-present
the embrace
of love in all its forms
so glad you're here! thank you
As the ganglia uncouple
so does her embrace.
What was once
passion
affirmation
affection
admiration
and cameraderie
all in one
is now
a rote motion.
But on a good day
for just a second
you can still
feel it.
And when you can't
I do what I can
to fill in the blanks.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-148936237?source=queue
I am so moved by the concept of a tender transition... I find myself caught up in the middle of some upheaval right now, and the image of being tender through it as I try to find my feet is so comforting. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this poetry week. I have been needing to sit down and write for a deadline and this time is so special for me to sit down and let the words flow.
A perfect read on a beautiful Sunday! Thank you Kaitlin! A loving embrace to you, your beloveds and the world!
I'm resigning my pastoral call this week because I'm on long term medical disability. Your timing? Perfect for my situation. Thank you.
I'm so glad you're here, and I'm sending so much love and care your way in this big life transition. <3
I'm so happy this poetry week is here! Thank you for these generative posts, and for this theme of tender transitions ❤️
My poem for tonight:
When darkness embraces the sky and
Moon embraces the dark, she shines
And I remember what it is
To exhale
Here, where mountain turns to valley,
I rest in the waning hours
And am held
Thank you. Beautiful imagery. Takes me to where I want to be. Used to be.
Ivakins
Departure gate: Your adventure is waiting
The path to solid foundation, holy be thy pain
Change the dynamic, embrace transformational alchemy
Speak out loud the prayers and incantations of dark release
This dream is no nightmare, solid footing is finally yours
Shadow embrace invites us to gaze at stars, born through the navel, no frivolity here
Heart stars shine through our being
The moon beckons us into the portal of death and transformation, shedding the foliage in the spiral of death/life/rebirth
Leaving behind last year, last month, last minute, presence is the gift of living