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{tangled} #sos

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.


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  1. AnonymousJuly 2, 2020 at 4:27 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MandyJuly 2, 2020 at 9:51 PM

    I 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.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JulieJuly 2, 2020 at 10:42 PM

    Collecting is where I usually begin too, and writing and talking help me sort it all. I think every step is important.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ruth AyresJuly 3, 2020 at 3:15 PM

    What 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!

    ReplyDelete
  5. writekimwriteJuly 3, 2020 at 10:54 PM

    I 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.

    ReplyDelete
  6. elsieJuly 4, 2020 at 8:49 AM

    I 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

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