In and Around and Above

 In and Around and Above

Oh, my goodness.
The goodness that is mine,
that is me.
How much you have endured.
How gently relentless
you have been in
looking,
            listening,
                  learning
from all
 you have explored.
As the sorrows you collected,
 thought were yours to carry,
release and flow away
your own sorrows
are asking to be heard.
It’s okay.
You have the time
and the space
and the ability.
There’s no reason
to feel guilty
                    or selfish
                or wrong.
Remember to let yourself
be led by the light,
the love,
that is in
 and around
and above.
It’s safe to
all the way feel
your very own
pain, grief
 joy, truth.
Oh my goodness,
it’s time.

Sarah Carlson
November 24, 2021

Led by Light

 Led by Light

Some storms
can be seen approaching
as winds whirl,
 darkenings roil.
Some contain
concussive blows
that strike without warning.
Others loom in the distance,
slide in slowly
as intricate energies uncoil.
Sometimes, though,
one can gaze to the horizon,
observe the potential,
feel the energy
without care
 as to whether 
thunder rumbles,
winds freshen,
rains fall.
Translucent, divergent tempests
coexist with a sparkling sense of being.
An opportunity to remember
and honor
the resilience and fortitude
with which stormy times
have been met,
how cleansing
wind and rain can be,
how the warming sun,
glowing moon,
twinkling stars
are actually always there.
A chance
 to more deeply fathom
 that we are
surrounded by,
connected to,
 led by Light.
A looking back
in the interest of
moving forward
into the peace
of an unlimited now.

Sarah Carlson
November 24, 2021

Because I Am In It

 Because I Am In It

As I re-read my poems
I waver between thinking
I keep saying the same thing
to actual awe in how
keenly I articulate
the meanderings of healing.
As I see those words,
I know the latter to be true.
I have chosen to keep writing
through a global pandemic that, for me,
includes a wide range of life experiences
from the death of a mother,
 to retirement from a beloved profession
to the birth of my first grandchild.
Through it all
my home has become a sanctuary,
though I think it may be time to move.
I was curious about those two thoughts
coming together in my mind.
As I returned from a walk just yesterday
I thought, “I love this space…ohhhhh…
I love this space
 because I am in it.”
Like a late season rose,
I open to the changes within
and all around.
I’m not sure what is next,
but this meander has led me
right back
 to me.
A pure, unfurled,
wonder-filled me,
aglow with appreciation
of my very own self.

Sarah Carlson
November 10, 2021