The Wonder of the Moment

 The Wonder of the Moment

The soft, familiar longing
that accompanies each new year
has once again
shifted within.
I can feel it without
judgment or regret,
let tears trickle or flow
 if there is a need
without even trying to
identify the source.
The biggest change, however,
 is an ever growing reconnection
to the sense of wonder I felt
from the day we met.
I feel it blossom when
I teach in new ways,
spend time with our children,
write these very words.
It swirls and saturates
as our precious grandson
rekindles
a visceral connection
to the joys of
discovery and awe.
Like the magic of noticing
 the bell you were given
on a Christmas Train
looks just like the one in the book
that your Oma reads to you
on a winter’s eve
as she tucks you into bed.
AND, having the words
to express the truth and
wonder of the moment.
I’m so grateful to be heading
 into the newness
of 2023 with all of this
aboard.

Sarah Carlson
December 31, 2022

Tender Light Softens - Video exerpt from Tender Light Softens: When the Deep Places Speak

 This is one of my favorite poems from my new book. It was written after a cross country ski at my local ski area on March 4, 2020 as the pandemic was approaching. It's an example of a piece that continues to speak to me in new and varied ways and that touches others in whatever ways they might need in their own lives.

Solstice Sensations

 Solstice Sensations

 I sit  by a tree
that is essentially just for me,
 treasure the coziness
of its gentle glow
as it mingles with the dark.
I smile at the memories
that each ornament contains,
feel the light of your love
and gratitude for the loves
our children have found.
With bright anticipation
of Christmas with our
two-year-old grandson,
the radiance of his joy
and daily discoveries,
I honor the softness
of ever more settling within.
There is some stiffness still.
Yet, like the shafts
of a low December sun
that make their way
through snow covered trees,
there is always
hope in the hollows,
glimmer through the gloom,
energy of ease.
During these times
I savor the wholesomeness
of finding company
in the gentle goodness
of me.
Solstice sensations
that, though unexpected,
I receive and embrace
gratefully.

Sarah Carlson
December 21, 2022