Hi, loves. 📝

Poem + Prompt for all!

We are days away from flying across the world for half the year and it has me full of mixed-up feelings (ranging from terror to elation), so I thought I’d invite you all into said feelings (sorry!) through the lens of this amazing poem by Jason Shinder. As always, read slowly and see what comes up for you. There will be a prompt below.

Speaking of poems and prompts, tomorrow is the last day to register for Winter Creativity Camp! So if you’re on the fence, do it do it do it.

The Party
Jason Shinder

And that’s how it is; everyone standing up from the big silence
 
of the table with their glasses of certainty and plates of forgiveness
and walking into the purple kitchen; everyone leaning away from the gas stove
 
Marie blows on at the very edge of the breaking blue-orange-lunging-
 
forward flames to warm another pot of coffee, while the dishes pile up in the sink,
perfect as a pyramid. Aaah, says Donna, closing her eyes,
 
and leaning on Nick’s shoulders as he drives the soft blade of the knife
 
through the glittering dark of the leftover chocolate birthday cake.
That’s it; that’s how it is; everyone standing around as if just out of the pool,
 
drying off, standing around, that’s it, standing, talking,
 
shuffling back and forth on the deck of the present
before the boat slowly pulls away into the future. Because it hurts
 
to say goodbye, to pull your body out of the warm water;
 
to step out of the pocket of safety, clinging to what you knew,
or what you thought you knew about yourself and others.
 
That’s how it is, that’s it, throwing your jacket over your shoulders
 
like a towel and saying goodbye Victoria goodbye Sophie goodbye
Lili goodbye sweetie take care be well hang in there see you soon.

Here’s your prompt: Write about leaving. This doesn’t need to be a place; it can be a person, a time, a part of yourself; it can be watching someone else leave or wishing you could.

Sending love,

Abs ox