By Erin Walker
I heard of your passing yesterday
I was busy drawing a bath with lavender scented bubbles
The bubbles were supposed to remind me of being a kid
Of turning wrinkly with my sister well before our time
Of Jewish girls making Santa Claus beards
Of my parents house before they sold it
Of picking neighbors flowers only to have to return them a day later to their mourning feet
I was busy drawing a bath with bubbles when I stopped to look at my phone
Such an insistent companion
Lately it has been especially good at reporting bad news
I wanted to disappear beneath the foam
Let the water blend in with my soaking face
I think it should be a law that only very old people are allowed to die
I was drawing a bath when I realized
The only wrinkles you will ever have are the ones from your childhood
From spending too much time in the pool or from washing dishes to make your mother smile
I thought about sitting next to you in halls at lunch
Of you placing your oversized headphones on my ears
Of you sharing your soul because you were excited that I wanted to learn about hip hop music
Of teachers who didn’t understand us because we didn’t quite understand ourselves yet
Of the flowers I stole from my neighbors and the looks on their faces that taught me that death comes in all sizes
I guess this bath does remind me of being a kid
Erin Walker is a creative artist living in Los Angeles, CA. She spends most of her time at home, with her three dogs and cat, dreaming about the day she can add a pig into the mix.
On Being Human
Join Jen in Western Massachusetts at Kripalu
March 2 @ 7:30 pm – March 4 @ 11:00 am
For women and non-gender conforming humans.
Get ready to become more free as you tell the truth about who you are and listen fiercely to others doing the same. Get ready to create what it is you truly want for yourself. This program is an excavation of the self, a deep and fun journey into questions such as: If I wasn’t afraid, what would I do? Who would I be if no one told me who I was?
Go beyond your comfort zone to explore what it means to be creative, human, and free—through writing, asana, and maybe a dance party or two! Jennifer’s focus is less on yoga postures and more on diving into life in all its unpredictable, messy beauty.
1 Comment
Beautiful…the common threads of experience. Lovely, lyrical visual.