The Spaces in Between

For me, the new year really begins today, what Christians call the Feast of the Epiphany.  While the original feast day comemmorated the arrival of the Wise Men, and was celebrated with gift giving (hence the 12 Days of Christmas), epiphany of course has a different meaning in the present day, of momentous revelation and discovery.

Over the holidays, I finished a book by the late Carrie Fisher, 'Delusions of Grandma.' Fisher had an extraordinary way of writing, of teetering on the edge between prose and poetry, especially in how she described mental illness and human interaction.  The phrase that stuck with me from this book is 'living in the spaces in between.'  Of living our lives from peak event to peak event, ignoring the significance of what happens in between.

This year the eve of the Epiphany coincided with a new moon, a supermoon. New Moons are a time for beginnings. My resolutions are cliche - eat sugar less, work out more, but my resolves are different.   I am starting the year renewing my commitment to writing and blogging, but also in resolving to see and listen to the small, rich, placid moments in which our lives actually unfold.

The Spaces in Between

Living
lies in the spaces in between,
in the patches of sky or dense forest we leave
for last.

We tinker with its edges,
focus on the obvious,
scramble for the easy wins.

The subtle
is relegated to the future,
when our supply of instant gratification
runs dry.

Here the work is slow
our commitment required
but the rewards hard-won and sweet.