Heat swells, radiating out,
I flush,
Not in a flash,
(I am past that)
But in a spike without illness.
Sudden warmth startles me,
Colliding with night’s coolness,
Before slithering away,
Never intending to stay.
Twice, this occurs,
First when I ask my mind,
“Do I suffer from anxiety?”
Second, when I ask my heart the same question.
Relieved,
(somewhat)
When asked,
My gut has nothing to say.
The body practice described in my poem above is based on the work of Suzanne Rivers. I learned about the practice in Susan Raffo's book, Liberated to the Bone: HIstories, Bodies, Future published by AK Press. This practice begins on page 150.
Image by Martina Bulkova for pixabay.
Like most people I have many identifiers. Currently I call myself writer, author, minister of Word and sacrament in the ELCA, and child development specialist. I am also a mother, widow, wife, sister, and daughter. My pronouns are she/hers.
View all posts by Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez
Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez 