The Paddock Review

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A Poem by Mary Strong Jackson

Just in Time

 

Can it be

there is a place

to be touched, stirred

 

as if with a spoon—creating an eddy           

swirling open to the place love and sorrow

interlock––a place one must pass through 

again and again 

 

so we swirl lost in the eddy  

catch our breath   just in time   many times

….

This poem is from the book A Pear-Shaped World by Mary Strong Jackson (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/a-pear-shaped-world-by-mary-strong-jackson/

The title of Mary Strong Jackson’s book A Pear-Shaped World, originates from the English term, “It’s gone pear-shaped” used when something goes awry. This book addresses today’s concerns of political division, climate change, and artificial intelligence.The book focuses attention on today’s issues with the hope of a paradigm shift away from the focus on wealth and productivity, and towards less harm to our environment. These poems ask us to do less of everything except caring for each other and our planet. Mary includes personal poems, too––we are all in this together “to add love, not subtract”.


Mary Strong Jackson’s work has appeared in journals and anthologies in the United States and England. Her chapbooks include, Dreaming In Grief, From Other Tongues, The Never-Ending Poem by the Poets of Everything, Witnesses, No Buried Dogs, Between Door and Frame, and Clippings.Mary resides near Santa Fe, NM with Steve the man, Hank the dog, and Cyd the cat.