NOT AFRAID TO DROWN by Mary Bach

Some days I feel a resistance when I sit down to write. ..

Often this happens when I am going through some kind of change, either outer circumstances or inner thoughts and feelings. Change is hard for me. This first line of this poem is a quote by Janet Frame which resonates with me. Writing, for me, is submerging in something larger than myself. Something not entirely known or mapped out. It can be frightening, but it is also where growth takes place. And when things are going well I feel a sense of connectedness, not only with other writers and people but with all things. Sort of like tapping in to the Source. But this is how it feels when I lose my way and struggle to get back to what really matters.

 

Not Afraid to Drown

by Mary Bach

Poets are not afraid to drown

but I have not written

in weeks.

I know there is treasure

buried deep

but I think this time:

don’t look

let the monsters sleep

 

I dread the dive 

so I stay at the surface 

bobbing amid 

the flotsam and jetsam 

of meaningless platitudes

safe, bored, numb

struck dumb

in the depths of thought

where I once sought answers

but now paralyzed

when I think of the size 

of the iceberg,

the depth 

of the ocean.

I fear death by drowning 

 

But what else can I do?

So I pick up my pen

take a deep 

breath 

and dive

(This poem was originally published in 

Poetry as a Spiritual Practice: Illuminating the Awakened Woman, available by clicking here) 

Mary Bach is a writer, animal lover, bibliophile and general, all-around nerd.  She’s funny, but often her writing is not.  She lives in The-middle-of-nowhere, Wisconsin with her accepting husband, blind dog and a small flock of cats.  One of her hobbies is collecting quotes, and a favorite that she attempts to pattern her life after is by E.B. White, “I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time.  Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.”  She has also been published in The Creative Nexus, Reflections from the Center, and Living with Nature.  Mary can be reached at mary3bach@gmail.com and at her blog In Other Words.

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~