Everything
will go wrong.
The
wrinkles around your eyes
are
only going to crease deeper into your skin.
Your
neighbor is a criminal.
The
lavender that you’re trying to grow
to
ease your stress level is going to rot from being over watered.
You
never really had a green thumb anyway.
Your
spouse will leave you and take
everything
and you are forced to file bankruptcy.
No
matter how many meditation classes you attend,
how
many breathing exercises,
you
are at death’s door.
You
will lose all confidence in yourself and become a hermit.
Your
mom’s health will go south and your dad
will
soon follow.
You
know other people’s problems may be worse than yours,
but you are still devastated.
You
get in your car after leaving the windows open, close the windows,
turn
on the air conditioning and then discover
there
is a gigantic wasp flying around the inside of your car.
While
she fans her hand frantically in the air
to say farewell to the wasp, she gets a whiff of lavender.
She
closes her eyes. Inhale… exhale.
Your
head abruptly flies forward and then back,
whipping
violently at your neck.
Your
student had backed forcefully into your car.
Count
your breaths, stick with what you can remember
and lavender away.
Ms. Nguyen - I am continually amazed at your capacity to keep your wits about you and to always project so much calm positive energy. Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal poem. Your ending line "Count your breaths, stick with what you can remember
ReplyDeleteand lavender away" is a powerful reminder that even when things seem to be at their worst, we have the power within ourselves to take that deep breath and find our center. Thank you for that reminder. It is not always easy and I applaud you for being able to find that core strength and for being willing to share it with all of us.
Mrs. Tolbert
Your poem reads like someone's worst nightmare. Thankfully, you live and teach in the real world, and you are wise enough to take deep breaths and enjoy the scent of lavender. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThis line made me laugh out loud: "Your neighbor is a criminal." Its placement, its brevity, and its claim coalesced into this perfect humorous moment for me. Thanks for sharing your creative and wise poem with us, Ms. Nguyen. I often need the reminder to "take a deep breath."
ReplyDelete