Secret

Sometimes

when the morning sun streams

through the kitchen window

and I'm washing the dishes

or opening a can of cat food

or sweeping potato peels and onion skins

off the linoleum floor,

I get so taken with the way

my arms move back and forth with the broom

or how pretty my fingers look

all dressed up in soap bubbles

that I just have to jump up

and dance around the house

laughing out loud.

 

Other times

when I'm sitting in my favorite rocking chair

and the clock on my wall ticking

and the evening sky a particular shade of blue

halfway between periwinkle and midnight,

I feel so content with the way

my feet push off gently against the wooden floor

and how my belly moves up and down

with each breath I take

that I just have to sigh

with the sheer delight of knowing

that everything I want is

everything I have.

 

Leslea Newman, journaltherapy.com accessed on July 10, 2024