poem: San Antonio, Dec 2

poem + reflection + question

San Antonio, Dec 2


under a fog
walking the riverside and boulevards
of an overrun Mexican-American empire
wondering the whithers and whethers
of our sixteenth year
wondering if (hoping)
I’m loving you as you should be loved

give me not what I want
but a giving heart

—ZW

reflection:

I wrote this little poem while my wife and I were traveling. some good friends were getting married (in San Antonio… did you guess?). we were going slow and partaking in the rarefied air of uninterrupted conversation—a scarce commodity when we’re raising four children at home. the wedding was beautiful, we danced, saw friends, met new ones… but this is the memory I keep closest.

I was talking with my friend Luke Thompson this past weekend (who is a wonderful songwriter). we were fumbling to express the pleasure and meaning derived simply from engaging in the creative act…

Luke: [Writing poetry] is such a beautiful accompaniment to writing songs! … A very grounding thing in a hectic schedule. … Such a great practice…

Me: feels like a therapeutic way to be in your real life… sometimes I realize how *shallow* I’m emotionally experiencing life in a moment or an afternoon, but turning a touch of it into poetry, suddenly I’m sending out little roots into my existence…

writing
poetry
is
a
way
of
making
living
sacred

how do you make life sacred?
are there any practices you have?

welcome into the season of slowing down…

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I am working my way through my book of poetry Snowmelt to Roots. this poem is from the MORNING section. (there are 100 poems and 11 songs)

in addition to posting poetry, I’ll be posting songs with some musings, thoughts and encouragements on artistic/creative life, sharing things that have been inspiring to me lately, and posting general spiritual/philosophical musings…

Z