"meanwhile"

after Mary Oliver

(even after Mary Oliver)

and her wild geese

calling to me, harsh and exciting,

while I am mired below

in despair,

the world and its brokenness

never ending,

the things that can repair me

so many now out of reach

and meanwhile

my kids are learning

how to skip count

how to swim the butterfly

how to check in

with their bodies

when they feel frustrated

meanwhile

we somehow eat lunch

(how? I don't make it?)

we eat dinner at the same

tiny table where we've

spent the day all day

on screens and videos

meanwhile

the kittens become cats

rest their chins on my knee

rub their heads on my

outstretched hand

to claim me

even from my despair

poem (c) 2020 D. Ohlandt

please only reprint in entirety and with credit given