Tamara Willems

a quiet sort of story…

On days when I feel the pull 
to write 
but have not f̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ , strike that – made  
the time 
I find, I get little else accomplished 
my head feels a bit muddled with the words 
I have not properly  
divvied out 
a symphony of sorts not yet 
rendered 
thoughts floating through thoughts 
latches left 
open 
words and phrases run amok 
a mild frustration of plans until I have  
properly sat 
and  
begun 
for a brief time today, I am alone in the house 
a feeling I haven’t had much 
since the beginning of all of this 
lockdown business 
feels quite luxurious and 
comforting 
a chance to get some thoughts together 
to stretch myself 
out a bit

August feels, ok in the garden
where today the oppressive heat has broken 
and a succession of thundershower-y days have gladly given over 
to sunshine and blue skies 
where a season’s wane 
feels less ominous 
and a fluctuation in hormones 
finds a gentler rhythm 
where a brief lamenting of things to be lost 
missed or unfinished 
gives way to ideas and plans for next year’s  
offerings 
not to say that this year’s glories have left me 
there is still much colour and liveliness to behold 
but the hard pummeling rains have beaten some things down 
rather low 
that now will require a harsher 
cutting back 
 
the roses have been fantastic this year 
where each one is still producing an amazing array of buds 
yet to bloom 
the fish have been quite pleased with the wet weather 
and our perpetual tadpoles are still happily 
swishing around 
the butterflies and bees have been quite prolific 
and the wilding nature of my surroundings 
continues to bring great  
unbounding 
joy 
the addition of more neighbours to one side has been rather 
bothersome to my  
tranquility 
however, as we have yet to acquire 
our dreamed of place in the country 
the neighbours we do have 
are for the most part 
no real bother 
at all 

what I thought I would tell you about today was 
how very much I value love 
and kindness 
and how very important it feels 
at this time…  and always, 
to try and put something good in to the world 
yesterday  
I read this 
from the wonderful Elissa Altman, written on the legacy and loss of Nanci Griffith 
 
“I maintain that every human has storytelling in their heart.  The medium may change: some of us are writers and others visual artists.  The human ear knows though when it’s being fooled, and in a world that prizes exceptionalism, it’s the quiet stories that provide a foundation to connect us to each other.”  
 
I quite quickly scribbled it down  
how very grateful I am to feel this kind of connection 
 
much gratitude swells, to the lovely Allison Moorer 
through whom 
I discovered Elissa Altman  
and through   
words, wisdom and heart 
I recognized 
the connection to quiet stories 
the important nothings as Jane Austen said 
the everyday kindnesses 
of noticing life 
and  
of  
loving it as best we can 
as best  
we are able 

through 
the 
seasons  ♥

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