Greater than the Sum
A poem and a prompt about cosmic love bubbles and the dissolution of self
Hey there, lovelies. It feels like a “thin veil” kind of week here in my world. Everything is a little bit more. More real, more raw, more dazzlingly beautiful. Higher stakes.
So it’s a high stakes poem that I present to you today. Very much in draft form, as usual. Would love to hear your thoughts, what resonates.
Greater than the Sum
A tree without its leaves is still a tree. Cull blossom, seed, mossy bark, nest nestled at its crown, and it loses not its name. Fallen, chopped, uprooted eaten from within, we know the thing–see an essence, paste parts together with memory to tell the story of a whole Still, there comes a day when a tree is not a tree. When disaster or decay take us past recognition– dissolve the very particles of what, and who, and self. It is then that I am the tree, and the tree is me, but who, together, are we?
This week, I asked my community for prayers, good vibes, and support through a daunting event for my family. Here’s what I’d forgotten: when people conspire for you, you can feel it.
True, many of these people wrote and called to tell me they were thinking of me. And it’s probably similar to the concept of witnessing that I wrote about on my birthday. But I feel like it was something more, too. That sense of being held, buoyed, guarded by an invisible force field. Some kind of cosmic love bubble.
How can you be someone’s Cosmic Love Bubble today?
Who’s that one person who’s been on your mind—who you’ve been meaning to reach out to—who might need a little buoying, whether or not you know the reason why?
Start with the metaphysical. Place your hand on your heart, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. As you exhale, send love, peace, light, clarity—whatever good stuff you like—to that person. Repeat as long as you like, as frequently as you like.
I believe that that works. I think it’s enough to make a Cosmic Love Bubble.
If you want to foster your relationship at the same time, you can make the support tangible: Send a text. Call from your commute. Send an old-school handwritten note or card. Forward an article or poem. Send an old picture you found. Offer a hug. You may find that the bubble-making is mutual.
Radiating some light, life, and love your way,
Devon
Oodles of gratitude to my newest subscriber, recommender, co-contributor to an exciting upcoming anthology, and author of her own gorgeous Substack, Layla!
