My Monday poem in progress ..

necklace with five rings each named for grandchild

Five golden rings

Four calling birds

Three French hens

Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

I know I should care more about whether a former president gets reelected

Whether North Carolina fades to red covered in mud high in mountains where the water was not vetted to go

I am

Concerned more if not worried

About things within my imagined control

Something I be I could be

do something about

Less than forgive

Nor forget

Nor try to splain my way out using the white hair elder card

Wisdom to pass on when I was supposed to be listening

Fashioning my torch to pass to whom

Began thinking and seeing the birds

Five golden rings and birds in flight

Glad to be still and know I could feel at least two things at once

Watching birds take flight toward heaven

or somewhere else

wondering what that had to do with the five gold rings

And then I took

A breath and found my way