Poet

Career Changer

I turned 49

And now, I'm listening

to my

    heart's whispers.

We're supposed to -- women.

Know our souls. Claim our    

   power.

I don't know 

  so much about that.

But I do know

I've always thought it would be

the best job -- poet.

    observe, reflect, write words:

Skills on my resume.

What is stopping me? Nothing.

   I'm a poet, then.

Summary: Creative human, seeking

    position with...

So I'm a poet now.

    This is, in fact, a poem.

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P.S. I'm not changing my career (just yet). And I'm not (I don't think) losing my marbles. I actually wrote this last summer, by hand, in a little journal that has some other writing prompts at the tops of pages. I thought it was funny and it's true, I DO think it would be the best job, to be a poet. If only it paid, haha! But the thought came to me again this morning while I drove to my actual job -- of poems, poetry, being a poet. Does anyone even read them anymore? 

You're a poet if you say you are - I don't think there's a certification required. Anymore, you can just start a poetry Instagram account, and there you are. I'm too scared to do that, but I wish I weren't. Maybe I will. Anyway, I wanted to save all of those thoughts here, silly as I feel doing it. Understand: very silly. 

Well, 2024!

As you can see, I took a big break from this, for Thanksgiving and all of December. It was mostly necessitated by my job and my calendar. It's not that I haven't felt reflective through all of those days, but there are limited hours, you know? To compose my thoughts here just hasn't felt like a priority these last months. 

I've actually spent a lot of time thinking about 2023, though, and have concluded it is important for me to surrender it -- to lay it down and leave it in the past. I'm also walking into the new year with no concrete  resolutions. I want this year to be lived instead of just survived. I want to enjoy things, not just get through them. I want to feel unbothered, not always behind. I want to feel hopeful and sure, and I feel like the only way to do any of these things is to take one day at a time, with openness.

Late yesterday, I saw a job listing that immediately caught my eye and piqued my interest. I hit "Apply," then sent a quick email as well. Auspicious, on January 1? Maybe. It felt good to go to sleep last night with a little hope in my heart, that I might wake up to a positive reply. (Nothing yet, but the day is young.)

Here's wishing that same small-but-significant amount of hope to get all of us going every day in this new year.