Let it Rise
Poem • 2019Written in 2019 and published in 2020, this poem uses the patient work of making bread as a metaphor for recovery: a life broken down, worked by hand, and slowly allowed to become something nourishing and sustaining.
Let it Rise
With time and care
a baker kneads his dough
pushing and pulling
with love and effort
let it rise
The ingredients’ careful mixture
make each loaf unique
grains of flour mix with salt,
water, and yeast
let it rise
With hands outstretched
the baker kneads his dough
back and forth
like the ocean kneads the shore
let it rise
With the oven’s warmth
the mortal flow proceeds
kneading love into life
with patience and perspective
the baker lets it rise
With grains having been broken
and dough having been beaten
the risen loaf is now ready
the baker’s work becomes the reward
let it rise