This afternoon I ate a cashew
like I was a prisoner in a cell,
pretending it was the only food I had
—the things you notice with such focus!

I turned a page in my journal
that was full of reminders, little poems,
to-do lists, and notes to myself.
I turned to a blank page and
felt a sense of freedom.

Not only the page but everything is blank
and brand new, like all I’ve written here
is all I’ve got—which is nothing.

My memory is terrible lately
and I’m a little worried,
but I’m really just a sieve.

My only function is
to have things flow through me.

Even the page in my journal
full of reminders and lists
was starting to stress me out.

When I’ve caught too many big rocks,
I need to be turned over and dumped out.