Yesteryear

My family in front of a Sugarloaf trail map - circa 1963

Yesteryear

One wing strong,
the other still healing,
she continues to stretch into
her very own self.
She must have borne the load
on that side –
heaving, sorting, shifting,
trying with all her might.
Plenty has been set down,
but her body
harbored memories
deep within.
She understands now that
the releasing and relearning
 take time
and she must be patient.
Her highly trained, analytical side,
so attuned to looking for answers,
needs time to relax
into all
being well.
She savors the moments when her
poetic essence shines through,
treasures the recognition that it
has been there all along.
As bitter, stale pains heal
memories of good times surface.
She pauses in stillness,
sits by the side of her serene lake,
feels even more tension unwind.
A little girl smile spreads
across her wholesome face.
Yesteryear contained both
heartache and happiness.
As sourness recedes,
she remembers to taste
the sweetness, too.

Sarah Carlson

December 18, 2018