7 Poems from Acacia Mitchell’s Waiting Spaces To Speak To Your Heart Right Now
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a season of waiting? There’s an ache to the uncertainty that makes you wonder if anyone else sees or knows your circumstances. Sometimes, pain makes us withdraw into loneliness, where we sit in the darkness with our fears and doubts. In the poetry collection Waiting Spaces, Acacia Mitchell speaks directly to the hearts of anyone experiencing the restless realities of difficult emotions and transitions. Here are a few poems that really resonated with me from the collection. I hope they connect with you, too.
1. To the one who feels small
It’s hard to wait. It’s hard when everyone else’s pace
seems to go more or bloom faster or
feel the warmth of the sun more than your corner of the
earth.
Sometimes I sit and wonder why the sky seems to heap
blessings on some and
forget others.
Perhaps it’s to remind us to care for each other
Compassion over competition. This poem is an important reminder that we need to be gentle with each other’s growth. Through empathy and nurturing, we can help one another bloom in the best ways: on separate timelines, but with equal beauty.
2. To the one who feels exhausted
we’re afraid of judgment. afraid of failing.
afraid of cutting back in case it’s seen as bailing
afraid of admitting what burdens we carry in case
others become wary and shun us away.
and in the midst of all of this, He comes into our shame
into the rejection and into the pain
into the places we want to erase and He sees.
sees it all and says that we are still welcome at His table.
we are still welcome
at His table
This poem almost brings me to tears as Acacia paints a picture of true grace and mercy. We all want to experience this kind of unconditional love and forgiveness. What a beautiful picture of what it means to be truly seen and loved, just as you are.
3. To the one whose plans have changed
the tomorrow that you dreamed of
has faded and
changed but its loss has aided you, and
out of the ashes the light is making
something new
something more true than anything you’ve known before
The last line of this piece especially speaks to me. While we don’t always see the big picture, our dreams only scratch the surface of the resilient reality our pain helps create. It may look different from what we imagined, but it has been fought for and it is ingrained in who we are, a truth of our experience.
4.To the one who needs to remember
Remember
“And it came to pass.”
This storm, this darkness
will not last.
This storm, this darkness
cannot last
We all need this reminder, especially in the chaos of today’s world. The storm, no matter how dark or threatening, will pass. Hold onto the hope of the sunrise, the shore, the stillness that will follow our stormiest moments.
5. To the person wondering if they are the only one
We are all as frail as glass
and maybe we should be as transparent
so we fully realize our own humanity
and leave behind our pride
This perspective reminds us to be careful with the fragile hearts of those around us. It also encourages us to move forward in humility as we seek to honestly travel this world together, flaws and all.
6. To the one pursuing
Deep and shallow.
Shallow and deep.
Constant circles or dreamless sleep
reflect, ask, rest, seek.
This searching place does not come cheap
Pursuing, waiting, processing. These things take time and can be painful. Sometimes, it forces us to slow down and seek answers or respite. All of it comes at a price: often the price of our pride or our own expectations of how things should be. But it is worth the price when you finally find the clarity you’ve been looking for.
7. Excerpt from To the one who worries about trusting others
“Inside of these foggy places full of days where you cannot
even recognize your own face,
learn that there is still grace.
There is still a place for you.
Even though valleys and pits abound,
you are always found. You always belong”
This concept of belonging can never be overstated. No matter where you journey in this life, no matter what you experience, you are never too far gone to be found and loved.
For more work from Acacia Mitchell, stay up to date with her work on her Instagram.
