The Kindness of Calmness

Rekindling a spark

I have a friend who I’ve not yet met in person, although that is soon to change; something I’m waiting for with eager anticipation! Until next month, we’ll only have shared thoughts and ideas online, chatted, met with others in a group and looked forward to a time when we could eventually be physically in the same place.

She is kind, generous, funny and clever and writes immaculately with clarity and vision, as if she is painting with words.

She has recently begun posting some of her beautiful words here on Substack and you can find her as HedgerowDiary. Please read her writing, it’s simply beautiful and inspiring.

My friend’s writing has re-kindled my own little spark. I haven’t posted anything here in a good long while. Life has somehow stepped in between me and everything I do in the inimical way that it does. But inspired by HedgerowDiary’s magic, suddenly I wanted to start trawling through all those notebooks again, dredge up a poem, knock off the silt and see what it says to me now.

I stumbled across this one when I was searching for the vague memory of something else and it seemed to fit the moment. I remember when I wrote it; at a time when many things were upside down, when illness had taken hold of me and shaken me considerably. Somehow, I pulled through that time and forgot I’d even written the poem, but its resurfacing is timely and it speaks to me again, especially because so many of the dear people that I love are facing challenges and difficulties. The kindness of calmness seems even more of a necessity than ever.

The Kindness of Calmness

Like a blanket, or a lovely scarf,

the kindness of calmness wraps itself

around my poor thumping heart.

I breathe softly again, my mind stilling,

not racing.

Oh dear, these days

are not my best.

Gently, gently, forward now.

The kindness of calmness will

wrap me,

hold me, lead me

beyond my places of

shiver and shake.

Moment by moment, second by second,

minute by minute,

slowly, oh so slowly,

it can be done.

The kindness of calmness,

the comfort of calmness,

the sweetness of calmness,

the gentleness of calmness

leading me to peace.