Just open the door

Posted by joy.the.curious on Apr 1, 2012 in Random | 4 comments

I decided to try my hand at poetry a while back. Enjoy. Maybe some of you can relate.

She imagined her life as a box
With herself on the inside
And the rest of everything on the outside.

The box was pretty
She had created nice things for herself
Inside the box

It was comfortable
And safe
And creative
And warm

Yet, outside the box,
She could hear sounds
They called to her, made her curious

She wondered if she could crawl up and out of her box
But she knew it was safer to stay
So she stayed.

Yet… every day
She heard the sounds
Smelled the wonder
Imagined the possibilities

She crawled up
On top of one of her familiar things
And tried to see over the top of the box
But it was too far away.
So she quit.

Later, she tried again
She piled some familiar things
One on top of another
And climbed to the top
But still, she couldn’t see.

So she quit again.

“I’ll stay here where it’s safe,” she said.
She moved around her box
Among all the familiar things
Admiring one… rearranging another.
These are my things, she said
And I love them.

But there’s more came the whisper.
Out there… there’s more.

She ran at the wall
Climbing and clawing her way to the top
But she fell down, over and over
And it hurt.

Each time she fell
It left her bruised, embarrassed
And scared.

But the sounds of opportunity
And the smells of wonder
Wafted into her box once more

So she ran at the wall again
Faster, harder
She clawed and climbed
Refusing to let go

But she fell again.

So, she got back up
And tried harder.
But she fell, and she fell, and she fell

And that little part of her
That thought she could do it
Began to die and fade away.

Perhaps I can’t do it after all, she said.

So she sat down among all her familiar things
And tried to admire them
Tried to love them
But they were dull now.

I can’t do it, she said.
So I guess this is it.
Just me, and my box,
And all my familiar things.

And then, she heard it
Something from outside
Over the wall
She heard a whisper

“You can do it,” the voice said

Then one voice became two
And two became three
And they grew louder, stronger
You can do it, they said.
Just try.

So, she ran at the wall
And leaped
With all her might
She fell, and she tried again

You can do it, they said

She clawed and climbed
Slid and fell.
Over and over
Until she was exhausted

I can’t do it, she said.

But you can, said the voices.
Just open the door.

And there it was
In a place she’d never seen before.
So she turned the knob and walked out
Into the embrace of
Wonder and possibilities

You could always do it they told her.
You just couldn’t do it alone.

(Copyright Joy Baker)

Next time

March 7, 2013 – Mark the date!

4 Comments

1. Kathy Alm... | April 2, 2012 at 6:39 am

   Dearest JLAB, Well done. Kudos. And, how true.

2. Jeri | April 2, 2012 at 11:00 am

   Awesome; how true for all of us, just need that help from those who love you.

3. Lauren Jensen | May 1, 2012 at 8:20 pm

   Just wondering what your curiosity with the Benedict-Browne family is. My dad is friends with Elise, I helped on her TB farm in Brewster, NY for one night at Christmas. Best childhood memory I can think of now. She had them bring out Sucre Sucre so I could see her. Also she brought a pony into the house for all us kids to feed carrots and love on. I consider her an “Aunt” of sorts, even if my family isn’t really in touch with her.

4. joy.the.curious | September 1, 2012 at 1:46 pm

   Lauren, thanks for the comment on my Villa am Meer story. In answer to your question, my curiosity with the Benedict-Browne family began with the Villa am Meer beach property on Longboat Key, Florida. My family has been vacationing there for many years, and I always wondered who owned that property, so I began investigating it. Have you read the story? If not, here’s a link for you to get started. Feel free to leave comments or fill in any gaps!

   https://joythecurious.substack.com/t/villa-am-meer