Empathy. Quilt. Prom. Kaleidoscope.

EXERCISE 171: AGREE TO DISAGREE

as many as you

At the top of an empty page, write down word for word a phrase, saying, or quote by someone you disagree with. Write down all the physical objects it makes you think of. Come up with as many as you can.

“The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy. The empathy exploit. They’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response.” — Elon Musk

Dove. Heart. Olive Branch. River. Window. Door. Silk. Sun. Moon. Root. Tree. Kaleidoscope. Wings. Feathers. Soil. Tears. Candles. Incense. Antiques. Pillows. Glass. Eyes. Fingernails. Rain. Journal. 

EXERCISE 172: SOMEONE TOLD ME

word for word

At the top of an empty page, write down word for word a phrase, saying, or quote told to you by someone you love. Write down all the physical objects it makes you think of. Come up with as many as you can.

“Measure twice. Cut once.” Emma Briggs, my grandmother

Quilt. Pattern. Square. Prom dress. Costume. Fabric. Stitch. Sewing machine. Scissors. Eyes. Thimble. Needle. Gift. Thread. Baer. Mary Ann. Tulle. Cotton. Skirt. Sleeve. Hand. Needle point. Bobbin. Peddle. Wheel. Coffee. Popcorn. 

EXERCISE 173: NO IDEAS BUT IN THINGS

without judgement

Choose one to three objects from Monday’s prompt and describe each, without judgment, in physical detail.

Feathers

Feathers — as beautiful constructs of evolution and engineering and significance — are hope, it is said. The brown-headed cowbirds that migrate by our window in large numbers every morning look like smoke and imagination. The red cardinals that eat from my parent’s feeder look like regal past souls whispering wisdom we already know deep down. The blue herons that nest by Todd’s place on the Chesapeake look like lions after their baby is born. 

Soil

I am big fan of soil. For many reasons. It is a home for worms, and worms are just about the coolest. It is a root highway making the impossible possible, like redwoods and sunflowers and magnolia. It demands attention, either a lot or a little, depending. Paying attention is a good thing, like the ground in the midst of all that is. It’s connection with food cannot be missed, and I am also a big fan of food. 

Tears

Tears are a superpower. Like gentle rain, they wash. Like salve on a wound, they heal. Like sunrise in the morning, they wake. Like pancakes and maple syrup, they comfort. Like a mirror on a wall, they reveal. Like an old photo album, they remind.

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EXERCISE 174: A BUTTON, A MIRROR, A SILVER SPOON…

choose one

Choose one to three objects from Tuesday’s prompt and describe each, without judgment, in physical detail.

Quilt.

Before my first niece was born, three generations of women in my family made her a quilt. The quilt process was an exercise in sewing, patience, and generational love. We chose to use a “crazy quilt” pattern that my grandmother had used at church. We picked brilliant fabrics at my grandmother’s favorite store and went to work. Hour-by-hour, story-by-story, cut-by-cut, stitch-by-stitch, square-by-square we created a gift.

Senior Prom Dress.

My grandma made my senior prom dress. Fluffy and floral. Tea length and tapered short sleeves. Lilac and baby blue. I was not a fan of prom, but/and sharing the moment with my grandmother helped me get close to the thought, “When I am old, I will regret not going.” I did not want to go to junior prom. I did not want to go to senior prom. A guy friend of mine found dates for me to both times. 

Stitch. 

Life right now is all about stitching. Stitching teddy bears for families broken by violence and cruelty. Stitching meals at the neighborhood food bank. Stitching days with thought and word and love. Stitching story with connection and truth and care. Stitching hope and imagination and joy one breath at a time. 

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EXERCISE 175: A PLANTING DAY

everything that grows

Plant one of the objects from Tuesday’s or Thursday’s prompt in a field. (Yes, you can plant a piano or a church or a seed or a hat.) Describe everything that grows from it.

Planting A Kaleidoscope

Planting a kaleidoscope is building a new world. Broken mirrors reflect that beauty of seeing sideways and upside down and backwards and inside out as seed becomes stem becomes blossom. Imagine the beauty of a kaleidoscope blossom. Colorful patterns reveal a new truth from turning soil. Imagine the sustenance of new truth. I shut my eyes and taste new truth. The sound a kaleidoscope makes as it reflects and refracts and grows is of the angels, a chorus of harmony and dissonance so perfect we will only hear it in heaven. 

Thank you for reading MONDAYS ARE FREE. These are my explorations of poetry and language and joy. Subscribe to the Wide-Awakeness Project to share this journey.

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