In the Beginning
Tiny Lights, Poem 2
“A mind in the making started to form into form and think about thinking…”
The inspiration for this poem…
Having a child is like no other experience. To write about it was a chance to look back after becoming familiar with my child and reflect on how such an incredible mind and curiosity came into being. It felt like swallowing a stone at first because it was so foreign as it took up residence inside my body. As it “broke” open and grew, everyday was a new experience. To think about how and when this mind began to form, began to think, began to feel, and what it might have longed for, was all mind blowing. It started somewhere, right?! And what a trip to be so uniquely (and literally) tied to another human for 9 long months. All things that we give birth to follow a remarkable journey of conception, gestation, and delivery even if its an idea or project (i.e. caring for a pet…) rather than the creation of a human. When that process gets disrupted for any reason it often brings great grief and loss. Such a universal experience deserves to be put into words that can outlive us. However, this is the only poem I ever wrote about my experience, maybe because it was so sacred that one was enough.
Writing/Meditation Prompts:
What might you, or your child, have been thinking and/or doing inside the womb? How was that personality expressed in its beginning moments?
What have you birthed into the world (or hope to), and how has this experience felt?
What is yet to be birthed in you? How might you find a way to mother something? What is yours to mother?
Have you ever experienced a loss in the birthing process? Could writing help you through your experience?
Is your writing something that longs to be shared? If so, with whom? Or is it just for you, and what does that mean? How might you honor your own words and/or experience? It could be one of the greatest birthday gifts you ever share.