the crickets in the
night out the window create
patterns of peace mind

he asked a question
and without waiting
for a response
drew three cards
from that divinatory deck
usually carrying as little
meaning as a tossed coin
scoffed at and swiftly ignored
this time seemed to tell
a recognisable tale
unexpected in its providence
a fortune perhaps
to favour the brave

the hanging man
with his eight swords
and his eight wands
these cards showed him
the start of a journey
not necessarily a life
turned upside-down
instead that a change
of perspective is needed
the octet of swords
unveiled his cage
of indecision
uncertainty and fear
a need to upset
the balance of the inert
a reasoning for destruction
in order to create
and those upright wands
carrying with them
such signs of movement
a willingness to decide
a commitment to progress

either that or
the pack was simply
reshuffled and dealt
again and again
until it foretold
that which needed
to be heard

I realize today
How much , I need
It's not the wants
It's the needs
Love , Family , Dreams
It's my creativity
It's painting my art
It's writing my poems
It's hugging my kids
It's being with friends
A kiss from my someone
You can make a million
buy a million things
But that is just not what
Your sadness is needing to heal
Your loneliness your desire
Your need for the social
connection
So reach out find a friend
Find what makes you feel
alive.
Tell yourself your worth it
and give to you
Don't sit another day lost
in the lonely sad day
You can find happiness
You can have laughter
You can find appreciation
That's what I hope
I share with others
Cause I know I've been there
©Jennifer L DeLong 3/17/2023

A rabbit with a pipe sits in their shared space,
like there’s nothing that might move them unless they acquiesce,
like they have no better things to do than do exactly what they’re doing
and they’re doing what they do best
- contemplate the next word, the next note, the next sweep of their pen,
the next throw of the clay and the colour they have chosen to inject
into the next page, the next dye, the next stitch, beat, thread, chapter, adventure
that their maker has placed in their minds eye and it’s then that I realise
that in every moment they’re carefully holding a myriad of holy inspirations
and contemplating their ordering so that beauty may abound
so that their beautiful God may breath out yet more of the Creation.

anger in mind is
anger in mind we create
anger is here now

there are no exits
but the ones we do create
this here is just now

haiku 20/11/3f

i am not teacher
you are not ignorant mind
you create meaning