I wish we lived across an alley from one another
with a clothesline strung between our windows.
I would pin poems to it,
and send them to you,
slid into plastic sleeves if it was raining,
plant cuttings in jars which I’ve tucked into socks,
a piece of cake in a small basket I bought for just such moments.
And some days there would nothing at all.

But even when the curtains are closed
the light is still lit.
Even when I’m quiet
I’m still speaking poetry
From a heart that beats stronger
Knowing you’re there.

~~~~

How perfect that the second day of poetry month should be randomly represented by Emily Dickinson as the Hermit?

Today’s random card was pulled from Our Tarot by Sarah Shipman. This is honestly one of my favourite decks, not just because the cards are smaller than many of my other decks, which my tiny hands love, but because the book which comes with it is a wealth of historical information about the women featured on the cards, many of whom I knew nothing about before getting this deck.
At the end of each entry, the meaning of the card is tied in seamlessly with the addition of questions to ponder when considering the card and the situation it might apply to. The questions which accompany the Hermit card are
How can you be content in your solitude?
What benefits do you enjoy when you spend time alone?
What knowledge works within you, waiting to be quietly expressed?

I really love the Hermit card, not just because I’m an introvert who would rather stay home and never wear pants.

The Hermit speaks to me of someone who has stopped being afraid of quiet. Who has been in the world and experienced the noise and the brouhaha, and recognizes that sometimes the best place to hear more clearly is away from it. Someone who has chosen to turn their gaze inward and delve into themselves to find answers, sometimes to questions they hadn’t known needed any.
It could perhaps be seen as the difference between spending time *by* yourself, and spending time *with* yourself.
Who are you when there is no one else to see?