Reparent/Reconstruct

A poem, for the new moon, by guest author Kit Krotto

In some therapy modalities, practitioners consider the parental relationship to be our first-ever experience of "spirituality"; with mothers, fathers, and caretakers effectively taking on a God-like role in their children's lives.

When that relationship is fractured, so is the child's sense of safety, meaning, purpose, bravery, confidence, and hope. According to some experts, where that future adult finds these values and how they learn to embody these traits depends upon their ability to reconstruct a "spirituality" of their own—whether religious, secular, or attributed to something completely unrelated.

This poem is a testament to being one such child, and being lucky enough to discover all of these things and more within nature. My relationship with the land is reciprocal, unconditional, balanced, and in the end, truly life-saving. She embodies the role of a mother effortlessly, and without expecting anything in return.

one of the potted pathos from the poem

Mother,
your current pulls on my high tide mind,
and my potted pathos rides your breeze;
the first joyful time in many weeks

Mother,
with your knuckles cold on my burning cheeks
a feverish dream of baths and blankets
the soup of ancient wisdom (with crackers)

Mother,
Dressed up for summer,
howling my greatness
to your other million children
as you hang up lines of linens

Mother,
cleanse my sins with your signature storm
warm with a rage that rattles the shingles,
strip my house of its stable and form
(rain on the sheets–
they’ll dry tomorrow)