Tangled
i stare
and wonder
a tangled
mess of cords and light bulbs
where do i begin
unraveling the twisted confusion
i stare
and ponder
how this messy web
resembles the heap of resources
articles, blog posts, webinars, books suggestions
overloading my brain from clarity
i stare
and flounder
not knowing where
to start unraveling this confinement
knowing i just
need to start doing the work
i stare
and consider
starting at one end
slowing weaving in and out
taking my time carefully
making knowledgeable decisions
i stare
and admire
the organization
of streamlining of ideas
as the lightbulbs
are shedding light on new understanding
As I was trying to carefully unravel the string of lights for our new patio pavilion, I had this moment of noticing. Noticing the tangle, the mess, the struggle before me. And then connecting it to how I'm feeling as I collect, gather, horde, obsess over all the resources available and being shared (mostly via Twitter for me) on the anti-racism work before me. I forward everything to my email inbox to dive in, to digest, to question, to learn, to understand ... but for later. So my inbox is a tangled mess right now and I didn't know where to begin, and I just continue adding more and more. Through noticing, thinking, reflecting, and, of course, writing, I now know where to begin with my tangled mess.
The interesting thing with cords and thoughts is that we may get them ordered and then they get tangled again. The moments when we have clarity and order feel good. I like how you build the poem.
ReplyDeleteI love your new space and these thoughts about working through a tangle - we do have a lot to process right now and I"m finding going slow with one step and another is okay for me. I"ve had to pull back a bit from all the goodness people are sharing.
ReplyDeleteCollecting is where I usually begin too, and writing and talking help me sort it all. I think every step is important.
ReplyDeleteWhat a striking metaphor for the work before us in education. I appreciate the combination of your poem + reflection. I wish I could hang out on that pretty patio with you!
ReplyDeleteI thought(as I read your title) how "Tangled" was a perfect metaphor for many of my recent days. Then I was surprised by seeing an actual tangle of chords. I wondered where you were going and understood in your poem you were describing something deeper, too. The ending is perfect for a Christ follower because it ends as all God's stories do with LIGHT! God never fails to use our struggles and transform them.
ReplyDeleteI loved the structure of this poem and how the verbs changed. I also loved the message. There is much to untangle in our world these days. It will happen.
ReplyDelete