I wrote this poem two years ago in North Carolina. I was there for a sports competition, and I have what some would call a ritual of drinking hotel tea while I write the night before. It was on the East Coast in springtime, when all the different trees held nuts, flowers, and leaves in different colors. I felt inspired by the falling leaves and the sense of community among my team, our mentors, and our trainer. Everything felt very connected at the time. I like to look back on this calming moment before the storm whenever my mind races again.
Here’s a poem titled “A Quiet Message.”
As the lover loves
And the creator creates,
A whisper
falls
through
the
branches
With a quiet message of love
To love yourself
To let yourself love
To let yourself be loved as you love others
For holding love captive in your heart is a crime
It must be shared
It must be sung
It must be shown and shouted from the rooftops for
you
are
proud
Proud to love
Proud of what you love
Proud to create
Proud of what you’ve created
Proud of yourself
And the whispers float back up into the sky
Knowing its job is done
As the creator loves
And love creates
There are many love poems out there, but I find this one sings a different tune. It focuses on the message of love and the calming feeling, such as waves lapping over you on the beach, rather than the ‘fireworks’ of a first kiss. It explicitly reflects on self-love and the love of creation, and on how the two play off one another. I always finish re-reading this piece with a sense of contentment for all that I have done, rather than anxiety about what I have not.
Featured image via Craig Adderley on Pexels
I feel it. I see you better now. HEART