Beyond
I walk along a winter river,
listen to its soothing flow.
Soul loosens,
Spirit visits,
I attune to what I know.
I sense an awareness
on the periphery
of my thoughts
as memories meander
through my lovely mind.
I think of my Nanny,
her love so free and pure,
her tiny apartment a haven
from all that made me unsure.
I remember the distress of her death
which shifts gently to
a connection
of grandmother to grandmother.
I could feel the warmth of
of love transcending linear time,
our light nestled together once again.
Her love for me,
like my love
for my children, my grandson,
carries no need, no room
for remorse or encumbrance.
It’s a consistent flow
that wends through everything
from whitewater wildness
to slushy, slow moving murk.
I’m left with a sort of circuitous,
elemental sensation,
clear of interference,
that I try to find words to fit.
I rest easy, let go,
as I realize
that at least some of it
is, in truth,
beyond.
Sarah Carlson
January 12, 2023
