In honor of our entrance into the New World – a world no longer rooted in fear, but bathed in love, I share with you some poems that I wrote as I contemplated this leg of the journey for myself. I owe a debt of gratitude to poet, David Whyte for being a source of inspiration for these poems.
Sideways into the Light
Turning sideways into the light
Like the gods of my Irish ancestors did
No longer interested in the fight
Leaving behind the self I have known
Entering into the unknown
A new life…on a parallel plane
In some ways the same…only different somehow.
Disappearing into the Hollow Hills,
and like the Tuatha de Danaan,
promising to reappear as something new.
The Shoes That Brought Me Here
I abandon the shoes that brought me here
I leave this place, not because I’ve given up
(Though some may be tempted to think so.)
Exhausted from the effort
Frustrated from lack of fruitfulness
Beating my head against the wall until it bled,
Forced into asking, “Am I barking up the right tree?”
I fought the good fight….
But, unlike St. Paul, my race is not yet finished.
I lay down my guns
Set down my sword
Lower my shield
And Surrender to the Son
Not because I’ve given up
But for the sake of a different path:
I abandon the shoes that brought me here.
New Shoes
I’m done with the shoes that brought me here:
Sensible, boring mom shoes.
Wide, flat, footbed of cork, reinforced arch.
Wide-toed sandals and clogs.
Practical Norse design.
Sensible. Respectable. Conservative.
Granola anyone?
I don’t yet know what my new life will look like,
But I’ve seen the shoes!
Tall, black boots – even thigh-high.
Combat-style Doc Martens.
Black patent leather…even bright red.
Go-go boots for the seven-year old writer who was told “No.”
Ballet slippers and heels without taps for the dancer within.
I abandon the shoes that brought me here
and strap on the boots that will carry me along the next leg of this journey.
All poems copyright Lauri Lumby.
