For nearly half a century I have soaked up life’s messes.
My surface is ragged, stained, and worn
From years of use
And misuse.
I have carried a weight that was not my own
So some weaker vessel might not feel the burden.
That burden wears me down significantly,
But I have been replenished
Time and again.
Mentors have poured themselves into me,
Filled all my holes,
Lifted me up,
Guided me in the art of learning to be still (and enjoy the stillness),
And taught me how to silence the self-doubt.
Now I am saturated
And desiring to be wrung out
So others too may benefit—
Or at least be touched
By things I have learned,
And so I may have the capacity
To be filled again.
And let the cycle continue
Until the day
When I am
Fully
Spent.

May 31, 2017 ~ Free verse
© 2017 Angela Umphers Rueger – All Rights Reserved

Written to accompany an application to a writers’ mentorship program.

Photo taken in my kitchen, 2017