Pocket Poems

For years I’ve carried poems in my pocket.  Whether walking, riding, driving or simply lounging on my couch, I have proceeded through my days with a poem that was particularly inspiring, or thought-provoking. Sometimes I’ve changed out the poem daily, pocketing the one that surfaced during my morning meditations, then filing it away at the end of a day.  Other times I’ve carried the same poem around for days, weeks and even months.

These poems have felt like faithful friends, committed companions and prodding provocateurs offering wafers of wisdom, questions about life, love or laying around, or simply mutterings and musings about the beauty, banality and heartbreaking horror that can be the stuff of living and dying, and everything in-between.

In my first blog post I referenced David Whyte’s poem, “Everything Is Waiting For You.”  His was a poem in my pocket (and, a voice in my AirPods) for weeks before I set off for Ordination.  Lately, I’ve been carrying around this poem of my own making, “Ride Like a River.”  The picture below, shared by my tremendously talented wife, Jo, is “Seven” dipping her wheel in the Ohio River at the end of the OTET.

In the future I plan only to post these pocket poems, without cogitation or explanation.  If they land for you, that’s wonderful.  And, if they don’t…well…maybe next time.

Pedal on, poetic pedalers!  May you ride like a river….