Rhythm of Joy (Poem & Earth Altar)

The Rhythm of Joy

Pressure.

Perhaps it was my perfectionist mother
Possibly it was my workaholic father
Probably it was the way the stars and planets
aligned at the time of my birth

Passing through the birth canal
with my laboring mother pushing hard
to deliver me into the antiseptic air
of the hospital room

Push. Scream.
Push. Sob.
Push. Swear.
Push.

This rhythm of pushing and pressuring -
could it have shaped not just my cranial plates
but also the wiring of my brain?

This rhythm, so natural and medicinal in childbirth
can become a poison later in life

Push. Cry.
Push. Crave.
Push. Collapse.
Push.

In middle age, perhaps I’m free
to rewire my brain (and my life)
with some new potent pathways

What does the rhythm of joy sound like?

Rest. Laugh.
Rest. Labor.
Rest. Love.
Rest. Linger.
Rest.

by Laura Loescher, 2019