Poem: "A Matter of Balance"
Nov. 23rd, 2021 07:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "shadows" square in my 10-1-21 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. It has been sponsored by a pool with ng_moonmoth. This poem belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It comes after "Fall into Despair" and "Leave Behind Their Shadows," and is followed by "The Basic Source of Peace."
"A Matter of Balance"
[Monday, April 7, 2014]
Ahzan arrived in Rutledge
with a bunch of other refugees,
most of them tired but hopeful.
Ahzan was just tired. In
her baby sling, Hasra made
a noise like a rusty door hinge,
a slow creak of complaint.
Family Business Rest was
busy and crowded inside.
Paper signs in Arabic and
English directed people to
the various social workers
and other stations in the lobby.
Mr. Neumann was very helpful
about noting Ahzan's details
and checking what resources
he had before offering more.
"It looks like you already have
a good capsule wardrobe, but
you'll need some warmer things --
it can get cold here even in spring,"
said Mr. Neumann. "Get yourself
some wool pants and sweaters, and
baby sets for Hasra too. Also, you
each get one Vermont garment."
Ahzan went over to the tables
that held piles of clothes.
A very short brunette woman
stood over a table heaped with
clothes advertising Vermont.
"I'm Malva Headstrong Wallace,"
she said, smiling. "I'm the owner of
the Vermont Clothing Company store.
You can take one garment each."
Ahzan picked a white T-shirt
with a lacy pink-and-blue image
of Vermont, and for Hasra he got
a little white onesie that had
a pink silhouette of the state
and sprig of flowers on it.
"Welcome to Vermont,"
Malva said, jotting down
his choices. She gave
him a business card too.
Then Ahzan moved along
to the next table in the row.
"My name is Aurinda Shaw,
owner of Shaw's Thrift Shop,"
said the blonde woman at
the wool table. "Take a pack
of tops and bottoms for yourself,
and you can have an extra from
the odd colors. Take four packs
of warm things for your baby, too."
Ahzan sorted through them to find
a pack of five wool pants, then
another pair in soft coral pink.
He took a set of six sweaters
in blue, gray, ivory, and coral.
For Hasra he chose packs in
pink, white, gray, and turquoise.
Each had a sweater and pants,
a hat, and a blanket. The pink and
turquoise sets also had booties.
"We'll take these, please," he said
as he pushed the stacks forward.
"Excellent," Aurinda said, writing
down what he had taken. "When
your daughter outgrows those, you
can bring them to a swap meet and
trade them for something larger."
She pointed to a pile of papers
that had a business card and map
to her thrift store along with flyers
for various types of swap meets.
Ahzan took a set. He could use
all the resources he could get.
The table after that held
not clothes but books.
"I'm Luthien Webster,"
said the woman behind it.
"I run Webster's Book World.
Most of these books are in
English, but I have a few French
and Arabic too. You may pick
one each for you and your baby."
Ahzan could understand English
tolerably well and speak enough
to get by, but reading was harder.
Fortunately he found that some of
the books were more about pictures
than words. He chose The Soul of
Vermont for himself and a book
of alphabet letters for Hasra.
They came with bookmarks
advertising the bookstore.
The last table was covered
with spring flowers in vases.
"My name is Charis Green,"
said the blonde woman there.
"I own Say It With Flowers.
Would you like a bouquet
to cheer up your room?
One flower per person,
one vase per household,
pick whichever you like."
Ahzan took a clear vase
with two white tulips in it, and
yet another business card.
By the time he got back to
Mr. Neumann, the social worker
had finished their paperwork.
"That's quite an armload there,"
he said, watching Ahzan try
to juggle clothes, books, and
baby. The flowers would
fortunately be delivered
right to their hotel suite.
"Would you like a bag?"
"Yes, please," Ahzan said,
taking the green-and-white one
that Mr. Neumann offered him.
It had a mountain and sheep on it,
from some other part of Vermont.
"All right, I've finished setting up
the basics you need for now,"
said Mr. Neumann. "Do you
want to talk about job prospects?"
Ahzan winced. "I worked ...
carrying things, but now I have
Hasra so I cannot work," he said.
"Besides, after losing everyone,
it has been hard to think ahead,
to plan for ... for anything, really."
Just thinking about that made him
feel more exhausted than ever.
"We come into this world head first
and go out feet first; in between, it is
all a matter of balance," said Mr. Neumann.
"The greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium
in the face of that rests within ourselves."
"I know I'm out of balance," Ahzan said.
"I feel so totally adrift in the world."
"That's natural, after what happened,"
said Mr. Neumann. "Get settled in.
Appreciate the little gifts that people
have given to help you feel at home.
We can talk about work or school later."
"Thank you," said Ahzan. "I'm so tired,
I just want to lie down and sleep."
"You and Hasra have Unit D on
the second floor," said Mr. Neumann.
"Gideon will show you where -- he
runs Family Business Rest."
Gideon was a mousy man
with thick glasses who handed
Ahzan a key and said, "This will
open your suite while you stay here.
Come on, I'll take you upstairs now --
your luggage should already be there."
"Thank you," Ahzan said as he followed
Gideon to the row of elevators. "It's
very kind of you to help us like this."
"My husband died in a car crash,
and so I know what it's like to suffer
a shattering loss," Gideon said quietly.
"If I can help other people get through
a hard time, then I do that. Nobody
should have to deal with loss alone."
Ahzan just nodded, his throat
too tight to reply. He hugged
Hasra a little closer to his chest.
"Here we are, second floor Unit D,"
Gideon said as he unlocked the door.
"I already put a crib in here for Hasra.
Let me know if you want a playpen
and I'll send someone up with one."
When Ahzan put Hasra in the crib,
though, she screamed until
he picked her up again.
"This won't work," he said,
waving his hand at the crib.
"She has to be with me. At
the shelter, there was a --"
Words failed him. Ahzan
used his hands to show
the shape of the shelf-bed
that had stood beside his own.
"Oh, a co-sleeper crib," Gideon said.
"Give me a minute; I'll be right back."
He trotted away, but soon returned
with something very similar to what they
had at High Desert Homeless Services.
"There you go," said Gideon. "If you
need extra sheets or anything, just
notify Housekeeping. I'll see you later."
He slipped out, closing the door behind.
Ahzan didn't have the energy to put away
all the stuff that he had brought upstairs.
He just put the books on the table
and the clothes near the closet.
The little vase of tulips waited
patiently on the kitchen counter,
their white petals a silent symbol
of peace. He could sure use some.
Ahzan put Hasra in her shelf-bed
and curled up in the bigger bed
beside her, so he could reach out
and touch her for reassurance.
The room was calm and quiet,
a welcome refuge after the chaos
of the day and a sleepless night
before, lulling them toward sleep.
He was still nowhere near balance,
but he began to think he might find it here.
* * *
Notes:
"We come into this world head first and go out feet first; in between, it is all a matter of balance."
-- Paul Boese
"We can be sure that the greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium in the face of any situation rests within ourselves."
-- Francis J. Braceland
This is a first floor plan for Family Business Rest. Originally the building had no dotties. They have been added between Function Room 4 and the Fire Exit, and between the EE Room and the Gym. These will include hybrid toilets that can be used squatting or sitting. Unit D is the Children's Playroom. Labib's family has Unit F (pink) in the upper left (northwest) corner of this map. Families with small children got first chance at suites on the first floor, for easy access to outside play areas. Function Room 1 is a theater.
This is the second floor plan. The small gray room just below the lift lobby is the first aid room. Ahzan and Hasra have Unit D near the lower right.
The lobby has a lot of open space with a counter and a cluster of seating.
See the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom of Ahzan's suite.
Here is Ahzan's Vermont T-shirt, wool sweaters, blue wool pants, and coral wool pants. This is his Vermont bag.
Hasra gets a Vermont onesie and wool sets in pink, white, gray, and turquoise.
Ahzan chooses white tulips for peace.
Vermont coffee table books include The Soul Of Vermont by Richard W. Brown.
For children's books about Vermont, consider M is for Maple Syrup: A Vermont Alphabet with illustrations by Ginny Joyner. Sleeping Bear Press, 2002.
ng_moonmoth. This poem belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It comes after "Fall into Despair" and "Leave Behind Their Shadows," and is followed by "The Basic Source of Peace.""A Matter of Balance"
[Monday, April 7, 2014]
Ahzan arrived in Rutledge
with a bunch of other refugees,
most of them tired but hopeful.
Ahzan was just tired. In
her baby sling, Hasra made
a noise like a rusty door hinge,
a slow creak of complaint.
Family Business Rest was
busy and crowded inside.
Paper signs in Arabic and
English directed people to
the various social workers
and other stations in the lobby.
Mr. Neumann was very helpful
about noting Ahzan's details
and checking what resources
he had before offering more.
"It looks like you already have
a good capsule wardrobe, but
you'll need some warmer things --
it can get cold here even in spring,"
said Mr. Neumann. "Get yourself
some wool pants and sweaters, and
baby sets for Hasra too. Also, you
each get one Vermont garment."
Ahzan went over to the tables
that held piles of clothes.
A very short brunette woman
stood over a table heaped with
clothes advertising Vermont.
"I'm Malva Headstrong Wallace,"
she said, smiling. "I'm the owner of
the Vermont Clothing Company store.
You can take one garment each."
Ahzan picked a white T-shirt
with a lacy pink-and-blue image
of Vermont, and for Hasra he got
a little white onesie that had
a pink silhouette of the state
and sprig of flowers on it.
"Welcome to Vermont,"
Malva said, jotting down
his choices. She gave
him a business card too.
Then Ahzan moved along
to the next table in the row.
"My name is Aurinda Shaw,
owner of Shaw's Thrift Shop,"
said the blonde woman at
the wool table. "Take a pack
of tops and bottoms for yourself,
and you can have an extra from
the odd colors. Take four packs
of warm things for your baby, too."
Ahzan sorted through them to find
a pack of five wool pants, then
another pair in soft coral pink.
He took a set of six sweaters
in blue, gray, ivory, and coral.
For Hasra he chose packs in
pink, white, gray, and turquoise.
Each had a sweater and pants,
a hat, and a blanket. The pink and
turquoise sets also had booties.
"We'll take these, please," he said
as he pushed the stacks forward.
"Excellent," Aurinda said, writing
down what he had taken. "When
your daughter outgrows those, you
can bring them to a swap meet and
trade them for something larger."
She pointed to a pile of papers
that had a business card and map
to her thrift store along with flyers
for various types of swap meets.
Ahzan took a set. He could use
all the resources he could get.
The table after that held
not clothes but books.
"I'm Luthien Webster,"
said the woman behind it.
"I run Webster's Book World.
Most of these books are in
English, but I have a few French
and Arabic too. You may pick
one each for you and your baby."
Ahzan could understand English
tolerably well and speak enough
to get by, but reading was harder.
Fortunately he found that some of
the books were more about pictures
than words. He chose The Soul of
Vermont for himself and a book
of alphabet letters for Hasra.
They came with bookmarks
advertising the bookstore.
The last table was covered
with spring flowers in vases.
"My name is Charis Green,"
said the blonde woman there.
"I own Say It With Flowers.
Would you like a bouquet
to cheer up your room?
One flower per person,
one vase per household,
pick whichever you like."
Ahzan took a clear vase
with two white tulips in it, and
yet another business card.
By the time he got back to
Mr. Neumann, the social worker
had finished their paperwork.
"That's quite an armload there,"
he said, watching Ahzan try
to juggle clothes, books, and
baby. The flowers would
fortunately be delivered
right to their hotel suite.
"Would you like a bag?"
"Yes, please," Ahzan said,
taking the green-and-white one
that Mr. Neumann offered him.
It had a mountain and sheep on it,
from some other part of Vermont.
"All right, I've finished setting up
the basics you need for now,"
said Mr. Neumann. "Do you
want to talk about job prospects?"
Ahzan winced. "I worked ...
carrying things, but now I have
Hasra so I cannot work," he said.
"Besides, after losing everyone,
it has been hard to think ahead,
to plan for ... for anything, really."
Just thinking about that made him
feel more exhausted than ever.
"We come into this world head first
and go out feet first; in between, it is
all a matter of balance," said Mr. Neumann.
"The greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium
in the face of that rests within ourselves."
"I know I'm out of balance," Ahzan said.
"I feel so totally adrift in the world."
"That's natural, after what happened,"
said Mr. Neumann. "Get settled in.
Appreciate the little gifts that people
have given to help you feel at home.
We can talk about work or school later."
"Thank you," said Ahzan. "I'm so tired,
I just want to lie down and sleep."
"You and Hasra have Unit D on
the second floor," said Mr. Neumann.
"Gideon will show you where -- he
runs Family Business Rest."
Gideon was a mousy man
with thick glasses who handed
Ahzan a key and said, "This will
open your suite while you stay here.
Come on, I'll take you upstairs now --
your luggage should already be there."
"Thank you," Ahzan said as he followed
Gideon to the row of elevators. "It's
very kind of you to help us like this."
"My husband died in a car crash,
and so I know what it's like to suffer
a shattering loss," Gideon said quietly.
"If I can help other people get through
a hard time, then I do that. Nobody
should have to deal with loss alone."
Ahzan just nodded, his throat
too tight to reply. He hugged
Hasra a little closer to his chest.
"Here we are, second floor Unit D,"
Gideon said as he unlocked the door.
"I already put a crib in here for Hasra.
Let me know if you want a playpen
and I'll send someone up with one."
When Ahzan put Hasra in the crib,
though, she screamed until
he picked her up again.
"This won't work," he said,
waving his hand at the crib.
"She has to be with me. At
the shelter, there was a --"
Words failed him. Ahzan
used his hands to show
the shape of the shelf-bed
that had stood beside his own.
"Oh, a co-sleeper crib," Gideon said.
"Give me a minute; I'll be right back."
He trotted away, but soon returned
with something very similar to what they
had at High Desert Homeless Services.
"There you go," said Gideon. "If you
need extra sheets or anything, just
notify Housekeeping. I'll see you later."
He slipped out, closing the door behind.
Ahzan didn't have the energy to put away
all the stuff that he had brought upstairs.
He just put the books on the table
and the clothes near the closet.
The little vase of tulips waited
patiently on the kitchen counter,
their white petals a silent symbol
of peace. He could sure use some.
Ahzan put Hasra in her shelf-bed
and curled up in the bigger bed
beside her, so he could reach out
and touch her for reassurance.
The room was calm and quiet,
a welcome refuge after the chaos
of the day and a sleepless night
before, lulling them toward sleep.
He was still nowhere near balance,
but he began to think he might find it here.
* * *
Notes:
"We come into this world head first and go out feet first; in between, it is all a matter of balance."
-- Paul Boese
"We can be sure that the greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium in the face of any situation rests within ourselves."
-- Francis J. Braceland
This is a first floor plan for Family Business Rest. Originally the building had no dotties. They have been added between Function Room 4 and the Fire Exit, and between the EE Room and the Gym. These will include hybrid toilets that can be used squatting or sitting. Unit D is the Children's Playroom. Labib's family has Unit F (pink) in the upper left (northwest) corner of this map. Families with small children got first chance at suites on the first floor, for easy access to outside play areas. Function Room 1 is a theater.
This is the second floor plan. The small gray room just below the lift lobby is the first aid room. Ahzan and Hasra have Unit D near the lower right.
The lobby has a lot of open space with a counter and a cluster of seating.
See the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom of Ahzan's suite.
Here is Ahzan's Vermont T-shirt, wool sweaters, blue wool pants, and coral wool pants. This is his Vermont bag.
Hasra gets a Vermont onesie and wool sets in pink, white, gray, and turquoise.
Ahzan chooses white tulips for peace.
Vermont coffee table books include The Soul Of Vermont by Richard W. Brown.
For children's books about Vermont, consider M is for Maple Syrup: A Vermont Alphabet with illustrations by Ginny Joyner. Sleeping Bear Press, 2002.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-11-24 04:33 am (UTC)That shelf bed looks wonderful -- I really wish we had known about such things when our kids were tiny. Or maybe they weren't a thing back then; our youngest turns thirty next March.
Well ...
Date: 2021-11-24 05:12 am (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2021-11-24 05:59 am (UTC)I actually read a story once where someone invited a homeless acquaintance to stay with them (he was sick) which ended up including the guy's kid. Since they lived in a tiny apartment, this resulted in the kid sleeping in 'bed' made of a Rubbermaid tub and couch cushions. This was also useful, as when the guy had the inevitable "Where's my kid?" freakout they could just move the bed closer without waking the kid.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2021-11-24 06:13 am (UTC)Talk about a first-world problem.
>> one could make a bedside container out of all sorts of containers. <<
People do. The Rubbermaid idea is clever.
Finnland has reduced infant mortality by giving every new mother a baby box full of supplies -- and the box itself is a baby bed. Because that's what a real family-friendly country does.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2021-11-24 01:09 pm (UTC)>>Finnland has reduced infant mortality by giving every new mother a baby box full of supplies...<<
This would not be hard for any church or charity or even some individuals to replicate.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2021-11-24 03:14 pm (UTC)Oh, and not a bedside crib, but I did once have occasion to make a bedside feeding station.
I was taking care of a sick pet who didn't want to eat unless he had company/attention, but he needed to be fed at some ungodly hour of the morning.
Dangling an arm of the side of the bed for petting was sufficient encouragement to get him to nibble.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2021-11-24 06:12 am (UTC)A drawer wouldn't have worked with our bedroom's layout, but we used a baby carriage for the same purpose.