The thought of Monday mornings have been painful for me this summer. By Sunday evening I’m just getting into the groove of my summer love affair with my family. Splashing, dancing, kicking, running, laughing, and playing are but few of the fun action words describing my weekend w/ my boys. Watermelon, schwarma, ice cream, sushi, cantelope, smoothies, and popsicles are but a few of the festive nibbles describing my weekend meals and snacks.
Sigh…..
As I prepare to send my kids off to school Monday morning, I pull out my bag of poems to reflect, refocus, and reconnect with life outside of my dream-like summer weekend. This week I’d like to share another poem that SARK shared with me during her Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper workshop. It is a poem by Portia Nelson (1920 – 2001) and it reminds me to be more aware of where I am walking and whether I need to reconsider alternative roads.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
By Portia Nelson
Chapter One
I walk down the street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost… I am helpless,
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two
I walk down the same street,
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in… it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter Four
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter Five
I walk down another street.