Inspirational Moments

Last summer, my parents and I spent an extended weekend in Blacklock's Artist Cottage on the North Shore of Minnesota. It is a sanctuary for artists looking for refreshment and revival, and my mom happened to find it in a brochure. It was the perfect place for my writing-starved self.

The room smelled strongly of fish - my dad had just eaten a herring - and my mom sat at the table calculating the time difference between here and Europe. Her eyes were elsewhere, perhaps seeing my sleeping brother in Switzerland.

There was a five-year-old journal on the coffee table that was filled with notes of encouragement, frustration, and advice. I loved glimpsing into the moments of other people, artist and tourist alike. Perhaps they'd have something to say to me.

One woman left a book of poetry in the bookshelf. David Daniel's Seven-Star Bird. I brought it with me to the deck, read it while the waves of Lake Superior sang a lullaby below me. Here is my favorite poem from that collection. It's so simple and short and yet so emotionally present. I love it.

Good-Bye Poem
A day comes
when you have to say good-bye,
when you point to your hand and say,

I believe this is my hand, waving.