Wherever You Are — Donna Hopkins

I am fortunate to have my very own personal poetry guide. I’ve followed Jan Falls and her Heart Poems for years. She faithfully delivers poetry to my Inbox on a regular basis. Each post includes her own thoughtful interpretation of the poem. Jan shares, line-by-line, how and why the poem is significant for her. How the poem makes her feel and act differently. How the poetry helps her to live in this world with authenticity. In this way, she has become a dear friend. Jan introduces me to poetry that touches my heart and helps me to see the meaning of my photographs. Here’s the poem she shared today.

wherever you are

Wherever you are, be there. Take up space. Occupy the full dimension.
Unfold the map of your body. Celebrate its topographical wonder,
its unpredictable weather. Make a pool of your movements, then swim
through the ripples, parting the room with your footsteps. Make no apology
for the squeak of your soles, how your jacket swishes at your thighs, that the dust
is making you sneeze. Consider it all a kind of orchestra, you tuning the keys,
you lifting the horn of your whole self to the air. Let the notes of you blast out,
at a register and speed that won’t leave you hungry or empty. Let anyone hear,
as they walk by with their shoulders up, pretending not to listen. Wherever you are,
remember why you are here: to sing.

—by Maya Stein