small gifts
someone gave me a jar of organic
seeds today — he told me to spread
them around as I walk through my
town the way I spread joy and
wisdom wherever I go — the words
were more of a gift than the seeds
- the words acted like a reminder
to keep germinating my intention
to keep living and walking in the flow
of all that is and everything that’s real
and not for sale but free is what I am
now that I walked away from working
a regular job — from any job long ago
my son told me I traded money for
time is what I have much of now I
live each day as if I too might die in my
70s the way everyone except my mother
has — her dementia also teaches me
to hold fast and let go at the same time
- I’m rubbing my belly fully of joy then
patting my head to entice wisdom to
flow down the strands of my newly
long hair so I can carry a mane of
small offerings — already in this town
people ask me what to do about how
they feel — big questions about life -
cautious questions about feeling stuck
writing the last chapter of their novel -
I advise them to pretend they’re going
to write a sequel — somehow it works -
I don’t get paid for the real work I do
but then again that’s fair because it’s
not a job — remember I stopped working
- now I live and breathe my connection
to this life and whatever other lives
cross my path — I see so many red
threads connecting me to others — I
don’t tug — I pluck them like someone
in a jazz combo who knows how to make
a standing bass sing — I’m right where I am
supposed to be because I crossed the street
decided to go to the post office later — met
someone I was supposed to meet — this is
my odd and quietly wondrous life
Cinse Bonino
2023
