And then suddenly the waiting for what was to come
the unexpected, the wondering, worry, and waiting
is over
and the time for the next unknown is here
the figuring out of this new “normal”
Normal is a setting on the dryer
nothing more, nothing less
it cannot describe our lives, our days, our moments
each one unique to who and what is with us at the time
and all the feelings that come and go, ebb and flow
and even that setting on my old dryer is broken
and so I set it on the other one, the one
that I have to watch and carefully consider
what cannot handle the heat and time it myself
and thus, this becomes my new “normal” setting
the waiting and watching and considering
we never really get beyond that, do we?
life requires so much of those things
or else it could all shrink down to nothing
and we’re left with a life that constricts and never
feels quite right
“one day” we often say
no, today is the day,
the only day
normal is not for those who live,
who love,
who feel–
forget normal, just breathe
and live
and soar
even if it’s from the bed in your pajamas
if that’s as good as it gets
fly from there
don’t let the world ground you
and tell you, you can’t
stay there as long as it takes
until the dryer is fixed and your other clothes
are ready to be worn
and your soul is ready to wear them
etch this on the side of your dryer
and your heart–
there is no normal setting,
not really,
there is only
what is,
in this moment,
and we learn to breathe all over again
I Might Need A Nap 