A Poem: Joining the Dots

How to build a bigger circle?
Join the dots – A, B, C.
Come back changed,
to find everything is smaller than before.
Then go again.

Go round again in your mind.
See if you can fill it out.
Take a deep breath,
the mountain air,
the lakes, metres deep.

Don’t speed, don’t move home
until you can float.
Then expand,
taking with you sweep of sky,
snow from a southern slope,
water droplets scooped.

Then jump in leaps and bounds.
Until, hop, you have jumped into home.
Never fear, now lift the roof,
remembering the stars.

Block your ears,
to hear the water rushing.
There is a larger circle
around the one you’ve drawn.
You made it all yourself.

The way you’ve thrown out your arms,
spun in every direction.
You’ve expanded your map,
made your journey hitherto different.

Now when people ask you
where you’ve been,
you will get that faraway look in your eyes,
and join the dots to circle again.

Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
May 2022