Ruth has been participating in my monthly Writing for Wellbeing workshops since we started over a year ago. She was new to creative writing. Since then, writing has become a regular practice for her. Below is a recent poem that she wrote independently from the workshops. She shared it with permission to reach a wider audience on this blog.
Our roots are our hope
Our roots are our foundations, our stability
They keep us safe and secure
They support us throughout the seasons of life
They allow us to feel and to grow
Our most solid roots feel unbreakable
Other roots are more fragile and tenuous
New growth brings new roots as life moves on
Smaller and newer roots add to our strength
Death uproots us, a violent wrenching
The death of a lifelong partner changes everything
We’re untethered, unbalanced and fearful
Lost, with no anchor
Hope comes from a secure base
Significant loss requires a total re-alignment
How do we re-root ourselves?
It feels like an impossible task
Our roots are one another
The power of human connection
Communication and sharing
Supporting and helping each other
We all need to belong
To have roots to hold us
Hope flickers and flourishes through connections
From sharing and caring about everyone’s
Heartfelt Open Personal Experiences