A Center | National Poetry Month 2023

April has simply flown away too fast and now National Poetry Month is wrapping up. I have enjoyed thinking more about poetry and how I wanted to share it with you. For the last few years I have attempted to make reading poetry a daily habit and the practice of sharing it on my blog helps solidify that effort. It’s been a delightful month for me!

I wanted to wrap up the month with a poem about hope. I found A Center by Ha Jin and thought it perfectly summed up what I’m trying to do here on my blog:

A Center
by Ha Jin

You must hold your quiet center,
where you do what only you can do.
If others call you a maniac or a fool,
just let them wag their tongues.
If some praise your perseverance,
don’t feel too happy about it —
only solitude is a lasting friend.

You must hold your distant center.
Don’t move even if earth and heaven quake.
If others think you are insignificant,
that’s because you haven’t held on long enough.
As long as you stay put year after year,
eventually you will find a world
beginning to revolve around you.

(Source: The Poetry Foundation)

This is exactly how I think about blogging. Especially when you first start, it can feel like shouting into a void and pointless. When you start with an empty blog, it feels overwhelming and impossible to make it your own special place. But if you’re able to keep showing up and stay steady, then your work and your connections can grow beyond anything you expected.

I hope to be back tomorrow with a quick update. Spoiler alert: there will be flowers! Until then – take good care!