Our journey goes in circles
steady upward and around
through a little mountain village
and higher still towards the sound

of cow bells ringing in the meadows
along the footpath where we go
passing little streams of water
reflecting sunlight in their flow

When we reach a higher terrace
we stand and overlook the view
so much wider in perspective
than we, lower, barely knew

It takes altitude and distance
to see the picture as a whole
giving purpose to our journey
in the calmness of the soul

Eelco van der Waals
25 August 2025

Unexpected happenings
cast their shadows far ahead
as you notice afterwards
looking over your shoulder

Miles further on the way
you watch the landscape passing
and only then you notice
what you overlooked before

Small signs become signals
warning you in retrospect
of wrong turns you were taking
not noticing what lay ahead

A blush on the cheecks
a dizzy pressure in the head
should have told you to
pause the journey for a bit

as you have learned in hindsight
in gratitude of what went well


Eelco van der Waals
20 August 2025

A month ago when time stood stlll,
with hanging mouth and speech distorted
an ambulance appeared to take you in

It took a shock to make a change
enough to feel how it was needed
to reset everything and re-begin

Week one - stand still and learn
your body's beating inner language

Week two - reflecting outward
on the things you hardly knew

Week three - the first steps into
a training to recover

Week four - concluding practise
to integrate what's new

Each moment is a starting point
for new directions and behaviors
and each day brings a chance out of the blue ♡

Eelco van der Waals
20 August 2025

Inside your head are
two balloons, one right,
the other left

They mostly feel the same
except for when in
tiredness

Then choosing words gets
complicated, taking
time to find

The answer of your body
is to draw back
in the mind

Slow down to zero, breathe
and lower pressure
in your brain

To even up the two
balloons and make
them rise again

Eelco van der Waals
19 August 2025

The freshness of
the early daybreak
with open windows,
sunbeams in

A blackbird singing
through the curtains
a whole new
morning to begin

This courtyard is
a place of mercy,
an island in a
world of stone

You wake up in
a new beginning
contentness
rising from the bone

So get up, step
into the garden to
feel this newness
in your pores

You've come from far
into this moment
here to enjoy
this time is yours

Eelco van der Waals
17 August 2025

Different moments on one day -
it could start with a giant leap
as if you were on a slide
whizzing straight forward

But then again, moments
looming like mountains
making you stop at once
and hold your breath

A day's length's too far ahead
to foresee when time can
seem a windscreen wiper
on a foggy road

Try not to concern too much:
still so many moments to go
look how far you've come
from point zero

So count your blessings
keep your fingers crossed
and feel the progress
you have made

Eelco van der Waals
16 August 2025

To C.

What you've
been through
ain't nothing

You don't need to
play it down

Stay in touch with
what's still fragile
as you walk
into the town

At the same time
feel the strength
you have refound
in your chest

Both are needed
in the balance
to live truthful
at your best

Eelco van der Waals
15 August 2025