Poetry jam :: Any Evening by James Richardson

A far bird sings again, a little further.

There is less and less difference
between your shadow

and the shadow inside you
and all the shadows,

and the evening softly taking hold
says It has always been evening

and now you know.

A short poem by a poet whose work has been described by Publishers Weekly as speaking “…with a world-weary voice that is also at times cautiously optimistic, managing to view the world from intimately personal and omniscient vantage points at the same time.”

How can you be realistic and optimistic in dire times?
How can you connect your personal suffering to the world’s suffering?
If you are writing today, try to use a natural element to open a door to this weary yet optimistic tone.
For instance, today on my commute, I saw several juvenile vultures eating a rabbit. They stretched the rabbit’s pelt between them and lifted up with little hops as they tussled for their piece of the meal. It was joyful, sad, and necessary. Try to see the multitudes in your world today.