By Linda Conroy
We’re spooled to unwind, like fishing line,
eager for a bite, the whirl of thread on spindle
rattling, measuring the length of life.
We race past the market’s crowd,
delighted in its hustle, though what we need
is a calm moment, to find a better stance.
Arms stretching to find poise, to quiet
the clamor of our days, we recognize the stream
of competition, trying to find our place.
We crave routine, the turn of tides of commonplace,
the lure of everyday, the slow noise of a life,
a pattern in the fabric stretched since infancy.
When the spinning stops, if one end
falls undone and rips through fingers, stiffer now,
we hang on or, like swift fish, we slip away.
Copyright 2024 Conroy
Linda Conroy , SHARK Reef Poetry Co-editor, retired from a long career as a Child Protective Services worker, manager, meeting facilitator and advocate for people with unique needs; she knew she needed to write about the complicated and gratifying human behaviors she had been privileged to witness, as well as the impact of the natural world and the changing times. Initially, she wrote fiction and creative non-fiction, but poetry quickly became her favorite genre.
She continues to host and facilitate writing groups at Village Books in Bellingham, WA, and enjoys spending time with writer friends. She is a four–time Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest winner and has received nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Her poetry has recently appeared in many journals and anthologies and at local community events. She is the author of two poetry collections, Ordinary Signs, and Familiar Sky.
All work by Linda Conroy
