Balancing Act Poem by Lynn Anne Brown

The first day of Spring
The Vernal Equinox
Ostara
And a host
Of other Names
Are used to describe
This time when Night and Day
Carry Equal Weight
Reminding me
Of the Balance Point
The fulcrum
On the Scales
Of Justice and Trade
That determines
What we have
What we need

It's been
A long cold Winter
A despite the evidence
Of our recordings
Of passing time
It feels like one
That never wants to end
To give way to Summer
And it's promises
Of Renewal
And life giving strength

And as we look into our pantries
And at our heating bills
And try to calculate
How much we have
To make it through to when
The Promise is fulfilled
It's easy
To be discouraged
To give up hope

But then that's
What memory if for
To remind us
That we've survived
And how we survived before
By sharing generously
When we are strong
And accepting help
When were not
And by learning
To limp along together
When were neither
One or the other

And we are reminded
Then most of all
Of the Strength
Of that almost hidden
Power
We built
When we chose
To place our faith
In one another
To create community
To agree that we
Are greater
Than the sum
Of our parts
And draw upon
The energy we've shared
When those Nights
While getting shorter
Still feel too long
And so today
I celebrate
The folk
Who share
That special strength
In the knowledge
That some day
Soon
The Returning Sun
Will help to heal
Our Wounds
And our sense
Of Sense of Balance
Has Returned