Help by Naomi Shihab Nye
Lately I have been at odds with the notion of reverie, of being “lost in thought.” I don’t ever want to be lost! But perhaps mindfulness and reverie don’t need to oppose each other.
In this poem by Naomi Shihab Nye one state leads to the other, and each is equally important. Both connect her to herself, to her family, to perseverance.
Wherever you are, friend, persevere. In these trying times, persevere.
Photo courtesy Brian Landis
Help
I had not noticed
the many-petalled yellow flower
strikingly thin petals
like a man with many hopes
or a woman with many dreams
and the center almost a tiny hive
ants could crawl in and out of
if they wanted to
Had not noticed the profusion
on the path to the coffee pot
Had not stopped, stooped
to absorb the glory of
many-petalled yellow
or remembered the freshness
of my father’s collar
for some years now
rush of anticipation
circling his morning self
despite so much ruined history
and searing news
Who can help us?
yellow beam
spiral sunshine
Legacy
Toast was a weekly email newsletter that ran from July 2018 to March 2019. All of the pieces from Toast’s run and more can be read in Solo Novo 5/6.
- Glenna Luschei, Abiding Publisher and Editor Emeritus
- Benjamin Daniel Lawless, Editor in Chief
- Tom Harrington, Contributing Editor
- Rena Ferro, Managing Editor
- Brian Landis, Photographer and Advisor