Morning
© 2023 Nina Asher, PhD
I sit
Facing the window upstairs
At tree line
Lawn mower in the distance
Sun warmth flooding into an otherwise chilly room
A neighborhood Not unusual
Nothing special
Yet, an extension of me
City trees – Magnolias – line the streets
In fall
Their dry, rotting pods, still filled with bright red seeds
Drop to the ground
Many years ago, an old friend photographed these pods
Gifting us their close-up beauty, hanging on our bedroom wall.
I walk these streets daily
Kicking splendid pods
Treacherous pods
So easy it is to step on one, trip, roll an ankle, fall
I am watchful always
But more so these days
As I age I fear falling – tripping, unable to stop the momentum of imbalance propelling
And so I give my neighborhood the gift of clear paths
Realizing that anything can happen, no matter what I do to create safety
I love the act of noticing little things that feel within reach
Reminding me
Each bit
Each breath
Each step
Can be a treasured moment Coming alive in the noticing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nina Asher, PhD is a clinical psychologist for over 35 years with a private practice that includes adults, children, and parents. Dr. Asher is a long-time insight meditation practitioner which fits well with her clinical work as a psychodynamic, relational, attachment focused therapist. Dr. Asher has been writing poetry and personal essays
for the last 15 years. This way of expression has grown out of her commitment to exploration of the world – internal and external – and the integration of her work and meditation. She has published poems and essays in Wise Brain Bulletin and Tower Journal, and her poems and prose can be found in a Chapbook called On the Outside of Inside. She currently authors a Substack page called Nina’s Thought Roll. You can reach her at www.drninaasher.com.
Posted by mkeane on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 @ 11:30PM
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