Disappearing

All this togetherness makes us more aware of our need to be separate. How do we cultivate privacy and solitude? How can we let our loved ones find space without feeling left out? How might we take space without feeling like we are abandoning ship?

This is a time of extremes and contradictions. We want to “stay strong,” but we may often feel fragile and filled with worries. We are encouraged to make the most of our wide open days, but productivity may be an impossibility.

“Yes.” All of these feelings are right and true and deserving of acknowledgement. It’s a rare day when you and your fellow stay-at-homers meet on the emotional scale. It can be a struggle to stay cheerful when everyone is irritated. It’s just as difficult to feel obligated to “put on a happy face” when you feel anything but happy. Owning our emotions without apology is a way to make space for ourselves in the world.

The remarkable poet, Gayle Brandeis, was kind enough to let us share this poem. It’s a favorite and one we read often in our live groups. We love the way she shifts the idea of strength from brute muscle to vulnerability.

Amoeba

Gayle Brandeis

Driving with a clutch

of high school friends,

one asked: What prehistoric

creature would you be?

T-Rex, friends shouted,

Triceratops, Pterandon, all

large creatures with tough muscle.

The thought of living

in such vicious bodies

made me cringe. I would

be an amoeba, I said,

making my friends laugh,

call me a weirdo

as we sped down the street.

Why do you always want

To disappear? they asked –

a question I still sometimes ask

myself – but a whole lifetime later,

I would choose amoeba again, body

condensed to a singular gleaming,

a pulse of pure movement, workings

shining through translucent skin.

READING RECOMMENDATION FOR PARENTS: Check out Gayle Brandeis’s new book: “Many Restless Concerns.” The novel-in-poems gives voice to those silenced by violence and illuminates the power of story. We also recommend the author’s other books, including “The Art of Misdiagnosis,” and “Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write.” Learn more about Gayle Brandeis here.

THINK - How do you define strength?

TALK - Flex your storytelling muscles. Tell us about your day, but make it as dramatic or funny or beautiful as possible. Use lots of adjectives and action verbs.

WRITE - What is the story being told about you? (Ie: can’t sing, grumpy in the morning, picky eater…) Is this a true story? If not, write the truth.

DO - Draw an inside-out self portrait. What do your EMOTIONS look like? How can you create a map of your feelings?

BE - What do you want to remember from today? How does this make you feel?