Sheltering in Poetry

[Written by Meghann Bolton, Director of Foundation Relations]
Hi, I鈥檓 Meghann, the director of Foundation Relations at 成人头条. In normal life, I read books, but right now, my attention span is shot, so I鈥檝e never been more grateful for poetry. I recently discovered 鈥鈥 by Joy Harjo. The poem begins, 鈥The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live./The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.鈥
Harjo explores how the table is central to all of life鈥檚 events, big and small. 鈥Babies teeth at the corners.鈥 One of the last lines reads, 鈥At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.鈥
With all of us forced to spend the majority of our time at home, I think about the
importance of household objects, such as our kitchen table. Ours has been covered
in marker, paint and crayon. Food and wine spilled, games played. It has heard our
anxieties and our laughter. It has been disinfected more times than I can count.
I imagine that a month ago, we all stepped into a river together. Every day, we ride the current. As the current changes, we course correct and adjust, especially our expectation of arrival. We know we will arrive, just not when. When we arrive, we will be different. The river will keep on without us.
For me these days, poetry is a moment of calm water. Below are some words that I return to. Poetry.org has started , a place where readers can recommend their favorite poems for this moment. Whether or not you like poetry, I invite you to take comfort in one listed or discover one for yourself. I wish you health and peace until we meet again.
Here are some poems I recommend:
Maggie Smith, 鈥鈥
Maggie Smith, 鈥鈥
Maya Angelou, 鈥鈥
Ada Lim贸n, 鈥鈥