HONOURING SIMPLICITY
Poem, and the art of the poem.
There is confusion,
when we have too much.
All the time,
how to keep? how to store? how to sort? where's the space?
Need this, need that.
Nothing is enough.
or
It’s all too much.
We crave balance, but we need our Stuff.
We want simplicity, but it’s an effort to get there.
Overwhelm? I know it too well!
What does it really mean ‘to have’ if it adds up to lingering stress?
Does having ‘things’ take away from something else that I need more?
Is it bulging into my peace? Cluttering my clear mind?
Is it draining my time? My energy?
Do I own things? Or do things own me?
Attachments, memories, history.
Desire, longing, joy.
Contrast.
An all encompassing experience this life is.
We come with nothing.
We leave with nothing.
And yet, we spend so much of our dash revolving materials.
Truthfully? these ‘Things’, they matter.
They enhance our life in nameless ways.
A privilege of our time.
So then, use it. Use it with wisdom. Discern.
Let go of what holds you back.
Keep what lifts you up.
Release what brings you down.
Set yourself up to feel good.
Feed rejuvenation.
Redefine what counts.
Be symbolic. Be intentional.
Breathe.
And make a new decision.
About true desires.
About the environment that brings YOU harmony.
About belongings and evolving.
This is courageous work.
Emotions are at play.
Simplifying means making new choices, sometimes difficult.
Don’t rush… but don’t wait too long either.
A kind of freedom awaits on the other side.
Now, what will you do when you have this freedom?
Imagine.
The Story behind Honouring Simplicity:
This poem came to me as a way of helping people make rewarding choices about decluttering and organising their space. I have helped many people get more organised, especially in their homes. Our energy, motivation, and emotions are so influenced by what we surround ourselves with, so it’s important to have our space in a way that helps us live well and feel good.
Poems have distilled wisdom, they carry essential truths (and metaphors, for example, ‘dash’ is a reference to our timeline, the ‘dash’ between our year of birth and death). This poem came to me when I was feeling very connected to the challenge and the satisfaction that are a part of the experience of releasing and rearranging. I hope it will encourage anyone who wants to simplify their space in a meaningful and rewarding way.
Co-Editor's Note:
This poem, and Red Love are soon to be
published in the upcoming anthology of poems, currently knows as 'Poetry for Coaching'. Due to launch in 2024.