the wherefore and why of poetry

Funny thing--I'm super busy today, scrambling to get work done...and I run across this quote by Jung (see right sidebar). So perfect.
I need to work quickly and well, but without hurrying. Without giving in to that frantic mindset.
And so I read this little tree poem to myself, the one posted below. Slowly, and out loud.
Ahhh.

Back to work, but not back to the mental hamster wheel. It's been torn apart by the image of sun-dappled branches and cool, dim, green spaces.

make like a tree and...

Black cherry, blue spruce
Chestnut.
Sycamore, sumac, and sassafras
Dogwood.
Cedar and cottonwood, poplar and pine, hornbeam and hickory
Beech, birch, box-elder, basswood
Elm.
Apple and aspen and ash
Walnut and willow
Maple and mulberry
Osage-orange and oak
Fir.

still waiting for house news...

...and waiting...and waiting...

Fortunately, I've got lots of other things going on to keep me from dwelling too hard on my wait.

The coolest and scariest thing is that this summer I'm coaching our church's brand-new junior high girls basketball team. We'll be playing in a summer league starting in July.

Please pray that we don't get slaughtered. I know what you're thinking: "Gee, Spools, you're so optimistic!" But truly--we have a lot of work to do and a short time to do it, especially considering our practice this week (yes, we only get one per week) was canceled due to a severe weather warning. And I'm worried that my inexperience as a coach will also hurt the girls.

But I am also excited and look forward to our next practice. I have a brimming bucketful of ideas. I had nearly forgotten how much I love basketball, and can't believe I let almost a decade pass without playing hardly at all. It's a crazy cool game that rewards hard work and passion. And you get to run into people. How can you top that?