A poem series
By Kate Vozella
Project: 9 original poems inspired by For Them’s 9 dimensions of wellness. Presented with accompanying video explorations.
By Kate Vozella
Project: 9 original poems inspired by For Them’s 9 dimensions of wellness. Presented with accompanying video explorations.
1. CONNECT
this is not a love poem
this a poem about
two dots
two dots
that live
on the top
of that shirt that
you bought off depop
two buttons
that look
like two dots,
or
two
eyes
they’re blue, by the way
and grey
the shirt was grey
the buttons were not
one fell off
so i I sewed it on with thin blue string
one black button
one grey shirt
one blue string
two dots
blue string
No
not
blue,
the color of your eyes
damn it.
this is not a poem about two dots.
this is a love poem.
2. EMBODY
what is it to be
tangled
unraveled
separately
pieced together
made whole
a complete expression
of totality
our bodies move
forever in flux
we breathe.
we are
motion full
and motionless
in stillness
in movement
a dance
a lull
a gesture
we breathe.
I close the space
to make space
I drift away
I return
safe
to myself
to this body.
this body,
my home
3. NOURISH
can you taste that?
the beginning
a single seed
like the opening line of a poem
we don’t yet know
how sweet
it is nurtured by
our observation
nourished by
our unwavering
patience
the change in season
the abundant reason
and so
and so
it grows
how tender we'll be
but fierce is she
(I guess that’s why they call her mother earth)
and so
it grows
it might be slow
and though it’s slow
it’s sweet
it’s ripe
a treat
it finds the light
we take the shade.
and so it grows
a late summer peach.
4. TRANSCEND
can you imagine
a spellbinding road
a path
beyond
make a wish
they say
as if
a wish
is to be made;
or sculpted
or moulded
crafted
out of nothing.
some thing.
like a dream
or incantation
sacred chant
of pure poetry
and energy portals
and prayer
the place you go that holds your hand
the higher place
maybe
or maybe it’s just the place next door
it’s not always out
sometimes it’s in
in
in
in
so far in that you begin.
5. CULTIVATE
reap
and sow
and so
I follow
not what calls to me
my calling
but what sings to me
a song
a siren that doesn’t lure,
but guides
alerts
encourages
inspires
there’s more to this life
so I paint
there’s more to this life
so I work
but
work can be more to this life
than
work
can be more to this life
I’m a master
a weaver
a painter
a doer
a seeker
a thinker
a collector
there’s more to this life than work
so I work,
there’s more to this life than the sirens
so I listen to the song
6. BLOOM
a dime
a dozen
a dozen times
that’s plenty
plenty
plenty
plentiful plenty
plentiful pennies
(here’s a penny for your thoughts…)
those who have excess
don’t need
and those who have dearth
scrape the bottom of the earth
just to find a dime.
ask those with a dozen dimes
what they do
with a dozen dimes
a dozen times
and they’ll say
try to make
two dozen times
a dozen dimes.
but I dream of abundance
I dream
to earn
to save
to spend
to give
to share
invest
but no less
or more
than a dozen times
a dozen dimes
7. DWELL
we begin
sewn from
little groans,
we grow
and grow
until we’re grown
all inside-
a human body.
we grow so fast
that we outgrow
our mother’s groans
her mighty bones,
all inside-
a woman's body.
this body we own
our second home
these bones of stone
a shell
a nest
a place to form
we grow
and grow
until outgrown
recycled
replenished
the seeds are sewn
the soil
the earth,
our endless home.
This
is our final roam,
from dirt,
to bones
and stone
this home,
is not ours
but loaned.
we grow so fast
have we outgrown
our only home
this earth
this home
a human body
8. BELONG
can you hear
the chorus
each voice
of equal value
the bird that flocks
it hears it too
but feels it more
vibrations sending silent cues
it sings
to turn
to dip
to glide
high
low
vibrato
tremolo
a song for the birds
a birdsong
there.
the bird belongs
9. SHARE
help is the person
in the back of the room
that gives the gift
of aid
it listens
it follows follows
it waits
it carries your bag
or carries you home
just to listen
to follow
to wait
help sits alone,
it works on it’s own
when you listen
and follows
and wait.
help bears the brunt
it shares the weight
it listens
it follows
it waits
help is contagious
it works with aid
it listens
it follows
it waits.
this is not a love poem
this a poem about
two dots
two dots
that live
on the top
of that shirt that
you bought off depop
two buttons
that look
like two dots,
or
two
eyes
they’re blue, by the way
and grey
the shirt was grey
the buttons were not
one fell off
so i I sewed it on with thin blue string
one black button
one grey shirt
one blue string
two dots
blue string
No
not
blue,
the color of your eyes
damn it.
this is not a poem about two dots.
this is a love poem.
2. EMBODY
what is it to be
tangled
unraveled
separately
pieced together
made whole
a complete expression
of totality
our bodies move
forever in flux
we breathe.
we are
motion full
and motionless
in stillness
in movement
a dance
a lull
a gesture
we breathe.
I close the space
to make space
I drift away
I return
safe
to myself
to this body.
this body,
my home
3. NOURISH
can you taste that?
the beginning
a single seed
like the opening line of a poem
we don’t yet know
how sweet
it is nurtured by
our observation
nourished by
our unwavering
patience
the change in season
the abundant reason
and so
and so
it grows
how tender we'll be
but fierce is she
(I guess that’s why they call her mother earth)
and so
it grows
it might be slow
and though it’s slow
it’s sweet
it’s ripe
a treat
it finds the light
we take the shade.
and so it grows
a late summer peach.
4. TRANSCEND
can you imagine
a spellbinding road
a path
beyond
make a wish
they say
as if
a wish
is to be made;
or sculpted
or moulded
crafted
out of nothing.
some thing.
like a dream
or incantation
sacred chant
of pure poetry
and energy portals
and prayer
the place you go that holds your hand
the higher place
maybe
or maybe it’s just the place next door
it’s not always out
sometimes it’s in
in
in
in
so far in that you begin.
5. CULTIVATE
reap
and sow
and so
I follow
not what calls to me
my calling
but what sings to me
a song
a siren that doesn’t lure,
but guides
alerts
encourages
inspires
there’s more to this life
so I paint
there’s more to this life
so I work
but
work can be more to this life
than
work
can be more to this life
I’m a master
a weaver
a painter
a doer
a seeker
a thinker
a collector
there’s more to this life than work
so I work,
there’s more to this life than the sirens
so I listen to the song
6. BLOOM
a dime
a dozen
a dozen times
that’s plenty
plenty
plenty
plentiful plenty
plentiful pennies
(here’s a penny for your thoughts…)
those who have excess
don’t need
and those who have dearth
scrape the bottom of the earth
just to find a dime.
ask those with a dozen dimes
what they do
with a dozen dimes
a dozen times
and they’ll say
try to make
two dozen times
a dozen dimes.
but I dream of abundance
I dream
to earn
to save
to spend
to give
to share
invest
but no less
or more
than a dozen times
a dozen dimes
7. DWELL
we begin
sewn from
little groans,
we grow
and grow
until we’re grown
all inside-
a human body.
we grow so fast
that we outgrow
our mother’s groans
her mighty bones,
all inside-
a woman's body.
this body we own
our second home
these bones of stone
a shell
a nest
a place to form
we grow
and grow
until outgrown
recycled
replenished
the seeds are sewn
the soil
the earth,
our endless home.
This
is our final roam,
from dirt,
to bones
and stone
this home,
is not ours
but loaned.
we grow so fast
have we outgrown
our only home
this earth
this home
a human body
8. BELONG
can you hear
the chorus
each voice
of equal value
the bird that flocks
it hears it too
but feels it more
vibrations sending silent cues
it sings
to turn
to dip
to glide
high
low
vibrato
tremolo
a song for the birds
a birdsong
there.
the bird belongs
9. SHARE
help is the person
in the back of the room
that gives the gift
of aid
it listens
it follows follows
it waits
it carries your bag
or carries you home
just to listen
to follow
to wait
help sits alone,
it works on it’s own
when you listen
and follows
and wait.
help bears the brunt
it shares the weight
it listens
it follows
it waits
help is contagious
it works with aid
it listens
it follows
it waits.