Taking The Time

Time stretches back

like an electric wire,

crisscrossing my memories.

Awoken,

by the scent of a yellow rose,

by pink sunrise climbing out

from a tumbling silver sea,

by the call of a bird,

alerting us all to the morning.

Time stretches forwards,

like a spider’s thread of silk,

difficult to see

and yet,

I feel it on my skin.

I take my children to nature,

travelling black roads,

filling the car with words,

and thoughts,

laying down memories.

We walk through forests,

climb mountains,

touch snow.

We swim in oceans,

see whales rising,

hear the call of birds.

We notice the world,

and each other.

We build stories,

tell tales of other times,

other people,

other places.

We find courage

in the uncertainty

of the unfamiliar.

We build resilience,

inspire inquisitiveness,

encourage softness,

in a world that can be tough,

gnarled and bitter.

We create people

who notice the small things,

and the large.

We blend them together

like my grandmother’s pastry,

filled with the kindness of heart,

the strength of hands,

and the appreciation of time.

Helen Edwards 2019