Teaching me to connect
To the earth and fire and water.
To take the time for ritual.
To return to nature.
Patience.
The fire smells floral.
The (tea) leaves still jiggle about.
They move away from the heat, the bubbles.
The smoke cleanses me.
I was meant to be here today.
That is enough (brewing).
I am enough.
Take time to sit and reflect.
The soothing flow of the river.
The embers glow when the winds blow
Short bursts of temper
Then gone as quickly.
The first sip
Unremarkable.
Reminds me of the stone soup story
I get it now.
It’s not the soup.
It’s the time.
And then it comes.
The grief. The tears. The sobs.
My son out in the world.
Happy for him, sad for me.
My father lost to dementia.
My love broken.
Almost scared.
To drink more.
Each sip.
Comes back out my eyes.
Down my face.
To cleanse
The pain.
The knots
In my heart.
Ease.
The sadness stones
Sit in my heart.
They will take some time
To fly away.
I didn’t expect
that.
Across the river the butterflies
Flutter.
Over there.
It will take a little while
To get over there.
And just like that
They are
Just
Leaves in a pot.
Leigh Barrie
Geraldine, NZ
