poem: instead of / why not

poem + reflection on a day and the choices it offers us...

instead of / why not


instead of a busy day
why not a full heart
instead of interruptions
why not a stream of opportunities
instead of a disappointment
why not a chance for reflection

instead of a small house
why not a cozy one
instead of a small career
why not a friendly one
instead of getting their attention
why not earning your own respect

instead of fear pushing in
why not perfect love pushing out
instead of accepting the decay
why not wonder at how the light lingers
instead of the sad wait for death
why not the gratefulness for life

(or maybe both)

—ZW

coming up to a birthday, I am haunted by the way I often handle the anniversary of life. or perhaps I’m simply flustered that I often let life haunt me—more often than I let it enchant me. there is a subtle difference between haunting and enchanting, and they both have their use in the human heart. but I would rather practice taking the road that has heretofore come less naturally underfoot. the road of hearing birdsong—of enumerating my blessings—of striving to see the image of God in a wretched man—of striving to see the image of God in the wretched man that I am…

I explored it a bit in this post…

but sometimes I can’t help but think that redeeming the ugliness of our humanity with making beautiful things—with painting, with singing a song (how frivolous!), with cleaning a kitchen, with braiding hair, with forgiving, with building ornate buildings with ceilings too high for mortals… what extravagance! what waste! and yet they seem to be signposts—the “better angels of our nature”—pointing us towards something lasting, something eternal. reminding us that not all is hell-bound and headed for the scrap heap.

here’s to practicing gratitude as a habit, second-nature… and to building things with a frail hands that suggest to ourselves, and to others, that, though mortal, we are also made of the stuff of our youngest hopes and greatest dreams…

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if you’re just tuning in, I’m working my way through my first book of poetry, Snowmelt to Roots. it’s available now! this poem is from the MORNING section… this is also a space where I share songs, creative process & musings, and hopefully some encouragement from time to time. thanks for being here.

peace,

Z