Awakening

The story you could share right now

If you took time to write it down,

What have these days been like for you

What is causing you to frown?

Name it in words, paint or song

Just give birth to it loudly

what is strumming from the inside out

You could create it all quite proudly

It doesn't need fanciness,

proper spelling or any "rightness"

The world needs *your* unique gift

Dark times insist upon lightness

Perhaps if you tell out your truth

It will come out with a rhyme

As you lay everything out to explore

What's more worthy of your time?

Maybe it will end up becoming

A graphic novel or animated cartoon

A continuous sort of picture tale

Of the sun always chasing the moon?

Or consider a "dear diary" capture

Things you are going to do

Sadness, thoughts and worries

And the way life has become new

Ultimately what matters most to me

Is how we will look back-

Did we spend all our time complaining?

Always searching for a snack?

The things I am hearing at this point

so far are mostly inspiring--

People using time with intention

Helps us with our rewiring

Our brains and our hearts have work to do

We are undoing some pretty tight knots

And in loosening up and digging in

We'll plant seeds in brand new pots

Things that are transformative

You might look back and say:

I made art! We baked bread!

And I wrote a brand new play!

I know we've had more family dinners

Than we ever have had before

Others sewed masks for doctors

And it didn't even feel like a chore

New perspective gained through simplicity

Walking through your town each day

Happy hours and board games on zoom sessions

Amazing, how there's always a way

Maybe you're due to graduate,

senior year keeps slipping away,

Yet, your friend-created "minecraft world"

Brings laughter, connection each day

Your maternity leave that felt too short

Is suddenly back again

More moments to snuggle your baby

An invitation to retreat in your den

Working from home is an adjustment

Helping kids learn can be hard too

Be gentle with your kids and yourself

You WILL see how much you grew

Take deep breaths, slow it down,

build lasting new habits of mind

Try basic yoga, meditate, and pray

Look inside of yourself to find

New strength, new hope: it's happening

And for how long, no one can know

Is that terrifying or liberating?

What you water is what will grow

Enjoy your coffee hot each day

Take deadlines in stride if you can

Bike ride, do puzzles, maybe take a bath

Consider this all part of a plan

A worldwide reset to change us all

For better or worse it will be

Let's not overlook our chances

Look deep within and wake up culturally

These words just keep on coming

They seem to originate from my core

It's hard not to feel what's at stake here

Which is why I must implore

Try to be present and mindful

Go outside, then come back in

And know that your best is good enough

Seek your inner grin

The thing that lights us up is calling,

Awareness is essential to activate

It may be your point of pride one day

(And not that extra snack you ate)

Writing these words feels personal

Getting it out feels good and needed

Moving through it, not around it

My thought garden, fully weeded

Whatever your thing is *matters*

Go find it, do it, and believe

Rising up is happening everywhere

So what could you conceive?