Clearing, by Martha Postlethwaite
This beautiful poem was shared with me this week.
Clearing
by Martha Postlethwaite
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself to this world
so worthy of rescue.
Restorative pauses make space for you to create a clearing.
When we take a break from the doing, we open up to ourselves again. We greet who we are and what is.
We begin with acknowledgment and celebration - recognizing, honoring, and being in awe of our story. Beginning here reminds us how we’ve arrived at this present moment.
Our stories, our cupped hands, are full of truth and wisdom that offer direction. Spending time in this clearing shifts our energy and offers a way forward.
This poem is also the inspiration for two choral pieces by Allie Weigh. May these words and this music bring you a restorative moment when you need them.
From my bench to yours.
Photo credit, Howard VrankinResources in my backpack…
Hargrave, Tad. The Niching Arc Program Intro Webinar, 2024. Marketing for Hippies. (Where I learned about the poem.)
Schildkret, Day (2022). Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change. Simon Element.
