Devolving

You cannot imagine how long it took
to slowly strip the mansion down
to its essence,

taking the furniture, little of it yours,
out of each room, setting it on the street
for others to take.

It is work, devolving,
peeling back the layers of confusion and clutter,
deciding what to keep,

and what to let go,
what are treasures
and what are traps.

It is work, but once done,
once you have rediscovered the
beauty of essence,

you realize everything counts.
Everything matters.
You discover once again that there is room

for God and room for yourself
that slowly got pushed aside to make room
for….

what exactly?
What was so important?
What was so beautiful

that you would sacrifice yourself
like Isaac on the altar?

You do not know.

But you know this.
You will be slow to bring things in.
slow and deliberate,

More frightened of too much
than too little.
and rightfully so.

About this poem.

I have a tendancy to take on too much. Or at least I did. Today, at 60, I have finally mastered the ability to make sure I hold on to my essence, and not clutter my life with so much that there is no room for the spirit that keeps me alive.

It was a long hard journey to get here. And worth every struggle.

Tom

The picture is of Poplar Forest, in Forest, Va. It is Thomas Jefferson’s “other” house.