Letters

I awake to bright sunshine through a slatted shade

I listen attentively as bird song beckons me

Come out of your despair, your lingering thoughts

I’m quiet, waiting for clarity

I peek out my door and witness the resilience of life

Can I honor what is left of me by finding the strength in the

Roots shooting up from the ground

Each day my irises show me to stay the course

You must be here for another season

I’m planted firmly in my thoughts and need pruning

War, death, sorrow continue to invade my psyche

Imploring empathy

Mundane tasks await, moving me away, even briefly

I’m standing in my own life, wondering how long

Can I keep up being me

Sun birdsong, new growth in my garden and me,

Still Dorothy.

Dorothy Mato

Hampton Bays