For multiple reasons, I had a rough week last week. On Saturday, I woke up early and went to a local farmer’s market to sell books and make “zines” with kids. It was really great fun, but hot! By the time I finished, I had not eaten or had anything to drink, so I went to my daughter’s house to cool off, literally.
Maggie and I started talking about my week and the day at the market. She suggested I pull a card from her oracle deck, “Mysteries of Love” from alenahennessy.com.
The card I pulled could not have been more perfect, literally and figuratively.
Today on Ethical ELA’s Open Write, the prompt was given by Larin, Thought You Should Know.
I wrote a poem to the Oracle Deck:
To the Oracle Deck (Snap Dragon: Cooling Down)
I want you to know
I’m trying to balance
will & ego,
soothe my inner fire,
but the system pushes
back again and again.I want you to know
they say we have to move Mom
to skilled nursing. No! I shout
to you. This is not the path
I expected.I want you to know
I tried to smile at everyone
I met in the halls at school.
I held onto a door handle
and did tree pose
just to test my balance.I want you to know
how much I want to love
a puppy that chews my shoelaces
as I write this. If I stay cool,
will he stop and look up
with loving eyes?I want you to know that no matter
what you told me on Saturday,
my will is fading fast
on Tuesday. I should pick
another card.
Reflections on the Teche 
There are weeks like that! So sorry you are in a rough patch. Breathe and take a walk when you can. It might help just a little to balance yourself. Thinking of you!
Love the poem, and your challenge to getting and staying “cool.”
Margaret, I’m glad I came back to get the backstory about the card and your hot day needing “cooling down.” I’m sorry you are having a tough week. I hope it gets better!
What a wonderful card to pull – and to prompt a poem about puppies and tree poses and moving mothers and fighting systems. Here’s hoping things stay at least a little cool in the weeks to come.