Words

Longing for Rest

Sometimes when the day wears weary

I want to fall back through time –

Back to childhood when life seemed simpler –

To rest in the arms of someone who loved me then.

I want to stay for a moment

Until my aging heart

Can remember feeling safe and at ease:

Arms to wrap me in a protective shield,

A wide, soft lap to sink into,

A generous bosom to nestle upon –

Flashes of comfort in a trusted world.

In later years

After the security of childhood had failed,

True rest arrived one afternoon

Following a sleepless night

On that first day with the friend become lover,

My head cradled in his welcoming lap

As my body plunged into the release of deep sleep;

No ordinary nap,

But a sleep arising from absolute trust and complete surrender,

The truth of the moment indelibly imprinted on my heart.

But people change

And leave lovers and others behind,

As they abandon their own soul

And sabotage truths lodged deep and long.

And I wonder if rest can ever again be so sweet and generous.

Written in response to an NPR poetry challenge on March 3, 2023. I haven’t written a poem or played with words for a while, satisfied to read the words of others. But lately, the possibility keeps appearing, inviting me to pick up the pen. Years ago the book poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge was an inspiration, and it recently returned to my bookshelf. I highly recommend it to anyone, even if you think you aren’t interested. You will be surprised by what might happen! Check it out!

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