“Sticks and Stone”

“Sticks” monotype by Maura Koutoujian (credit Marketa Sivek Gallery, Chicago)


Today something broke open

I could feel it bubbling to the surface like a scuba diver’s air bubbles

Buoyant, purposeful, unrelenting, and clear

“You are so strong, silent, and calm on the outside”

“She’s like a rock”

Those have been left behind on a beach for someone else to discover and save in a jar

I always thought change would be a foreign invader conquering the weak

But it’s an old flame

A steady and consistent light that glimmers in the fog

It came from such a simple element many eons ago

Strength and resilience passed down over generations through DNA

Survivors, seekers, entrepreneurs, artists, ship captains, warriors

Once a small voice; it was just a faint whisper in my ear

Sometimes I thought I had only imagined it

The sound became clearer and carried further by wind and time

As it increased in volume I could start to feel it reverberate in my chest

Until it was so loud that now it’s a ROAR

I wore so many hats: 1st mate, passenger, engineer, radio controller, helm, and captain

“All me” says my ego

In truth, lot of hands helped me pass the buckets when bailing out

I finally realized that you can’t stop water but you can float

Allowing isn’t giving up as much as quiet persistence without clenched fists

I allowed nature to transmute the landscape it touched; instead of seeing it as a force to be tamed or managed

It became my creative partner

Something once so heavy is now smooth and light

It’s a sea and I can’t call it back

Nor do I want to