I chose this poem as a tip of the hat to the time of year when there tend to be more things coming in than going out. Accumulate can be such an uncomfortable word, whereas gather has such grace. To gather in this poem is to move through the world with a kind of reverence. I found the poem in the book The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal, but I quickly discovered that it is posted many places on the internet where artists are given to collecting—to create something new and to hold onto our days, which pass so quickly.
Speaking of which, there will be one more poem before 2023 is behind us. Thanks for joining me on this ride through the poems that shaped my year.
“bits of shells not whole but lovely
in their brokenness”
