Tumbling the Mosaic
In my youth I had little patience for the squiggly shaped pieces.
There were so many with varying shades not varied enough
and I rarely could make them fit.
In my teens, squiggly and odd-fitting, I was too uncomfortable
and lost to put pieces together.
In my young adult years, the pieces were bigger, heavier
too hard to hold when you have a baby, a husband,
a paper due and shift to tend to.
Then the crisis hits and who gives a shit about puzzles?
Funny, puzzle pieces are varying shades and while not varied
enough they are sturdy, squiggly pieces.
I learned how not be overwhelmed with a finish
rather I'm content knowing my pieces are mine
and they make sense without fastening them neatly together.
Brian asked us to contemplate on puzzles. Rough draft. May or may not tinker with. Critique and observations welcome. Join us.
Yes, sometimes it is enough to know one has the pieces, ALL the pieces of one's life. They may be put together, or then again they may not. But they are there to be worked with, and worked through, whether the puzzle is completed or not. A puzzle is process, as is life. I enjoyed this, LaTonya.
ReplyDeletebeautiful, LaTonya. it is indeed a great treasure to know which pieces are yours. i am still trying to figure it out...
ReplyDelete~Miriam
Miriam, I believe you figure it out. I have limited skills and I'm still here. :-)
ReplyDeleteA lifetime's work I am sure.
ReplyDeletei so agree... never put them too tight together... it's all about giving them space to breathe in between...and (what - have to put away that peach to be able to type faster..ha) made me think of a friend of mine who had a horse and some sheep..the sheep knew exactly who they belonged to - just by her voice - think that's about the same way with knowing which pieces are yours...
ReplyDeleteClaudia, love the analogy. Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI love how you describe how the shape of the pieces shape... and having them is what's important. If they fit too neatly I'd say you are probably laying the wrong puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI love that stand-alone line.
ReplyDeleteShay, we're old enough to keep real, aren't we? Didn't seem right to sanitize it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bjorn.
LaTonya, I wish I had your freedom to keep real... some old ladies at our church monitor my shit, and as a result, there are copies of old, old poems with "the seven words you cannot say on TV" in them! Honestly, they had to go into my search window and TYPE the word "fuck" in... who has the dirty mind? I said "Merry Fucking Christmas," because the Governor had closed two places where the homeless seek shelter, in midwinter, for REDECORATING. He was giving the finger to homeless folks, but the withered little old ladies took umbrage at my words rather than his values...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love your ownership of your puzzle pieces. Yeah, it's like your bag, keep 'em close but don't expect them to fit... and certainly don't expect to have leisure time to actually assemble 'em. Been there!! Great stuff, LaTonya. Peace, Amy
Oh, yes, it rings true. I dunno if I'll ever get there, but getting closer to not giving a shit. Love your stuff, LaTonya!
ReplyDeleteAmy, freedom costs. And I accept I might pay for it at an unexpect, inopportune time, but hell, I'm a Lorde disciple: silence does not protect us. So let it come, won't be the first or last time I say something somebody objects to.
ReplyDeleteAh, it's the beauty of it all, the process and making our way....everything counts....and there are no mistakes, just trials and triumphs and setback and small successes.
ReplyDeletelearning not to be overwhelmed with the finish and content that the pieces are mine...really like that bit...and give it a crisis and you will find out who really gives a shit, that is for sure...smiles....
ReplyDeleteI'm with Shay, the standalone line, and then the finishing line, are - well, perfect doesn't quite seem right - but true. I admire the conversational tone, with stops, that make your writes so personal. I imagine your voice is contralto? :) ~ M
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. Glad you did reach that conclusion.
ReplyDeleteLove that ending ~ Just knowing and holding our own pieces are sometimes enough ~
ReplyDeleteSo nice to read a positive personal growth poem : )
ReplyDeleteBrilliant post LaTonya! I really really enjoyed it. I thought that I'd subscribed to your blog, but now I see a number of posts that I missed. I signed up (perhaps again - perhaps for a first time - who knows!) because I'm loving your style! Now on to read and get caught up for the week...
ReplyDeleteRobin, my activity took off in May once I connected with other bloggers. I'm glad you enjoy reading here. I enjoy your artwork and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteRowan, thank you.. I simply spilled out the pieces as I lived them.
Great poem, sometimes it can be overwhelming but they are all ours to deal with.
ReplyDeleteOften we fret over things that don't fit perfectly but find the answer in handling the pieces that we own. Wonderful work.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of this reminds me of a quote I just saw on Pinterest that I loved. It said something like, "Can we just not figure everything out now?" There comes a time when we need to be comfortable with that.
ReplyDeletegood write, LaTonya, I like the way you perceive the puzzle pieces differetly at various ages
ReplyDeleteI like it. Being at peace with oneself is indeed freeing. Sometimes I think I'm a few pieces short...
ReplyDeleteGreat wise words - it's knowing where we fit that counts - and where we are comfortable to be.
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]
It is very difficult to see the pieces in the midst of the puzzle. Your poem reflects a genuine contentment with the mystery of it all - wonderful. k.
ReplyDeleteLove it! "they make sense without fastening them neatly together" Great write!
ReplyDelete