Offering
(from Brainstorms &
Artwise Poetry Roulette Cards)
Take this offering from my heart.
No need to pay me back.
The gift is yours to receive
without strings attached.
Love is what I have to give.
This much I know is true.
And if my fear should stifle me,
‘twould only punish you.
We all wear masks to shield ourselves
from being broken down.
But when we open up our hearts,
connection can be found.
So come, my friend, and take my hand.
There’s no need for confusion.
I’ll be me and you’ll be you.
The rest is just illusion.
I want to send you a set of Artwise Poetry Roulette Cards for free. What’s the catch? You commit to giving away all of the 52 poetry cards as unexpected gifts to people you encounter in your daily life. (Bonus points if you share with someone you’ve never met or might never see again.)
Here's my inspiration: One day this summer, I was checking out at a clothing store. When I reached into my bag for my wallet, I realized I had box of Artwise Poetry Roulette Cards in there too. I pulled out the box along with my wallet. “Would you like a poem?” I asked the store clerk as I put my credit card into the reader.
“Sure!” she responded, as though it was a question she was asked all the time.
I opened the box and spread the cards out in front of her. “’Pick a card, any card!” I invited. She scanned the artwork with intention and then selected a card with a vibrant abstract image facing up. I studied her face as she turned the card over to read the poem, a slight smile forming on the corners of the lips. “Can I take a picture?” she asked.
“You can keep the card,” I told her. “It’s a gift.”
"Really?" she beamed.
"Of course!"
Since then, I’ve made a practice of keeping a box of cards in my bag and offering people poems in the everyday places I visit: restaurants, Ubers, airports, grocery stores, post offices, coffee shops, doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and pretty much anywhere else I might go. I always make the same invitation, “Would you like a poem?” So far, no one has turned me down.
I've been particularly moved by the various ways people receive the poems. At a UPS store, one woman showed the card to her co-worker and said, "I'm going to take this as a sign." At a sporting goods store, tears welled up in one man's eyes and he asked if it would be okay to hug me. A hospital tech said they were going to take the card home to meditate on it. The office manager at my chiropractor's office told me she put the card in her journal, and that she also took a picture to send to people she knows.
I've had so much fun sharing in this way and it occurred to me that perhaps some of you might like to try it as well, especially during this season when heartfelt connection sometimes gets lost in the busyness of our days.
Email me with your name and mailing address and I’ll send you a set of cards for free.
If you’d like a set for yourself or for personal gift-giving, you can also purchase them online between now and December 15th (choose the price that best fits your budget).
And if sharing poems isn't for you, I hope you will continue to enjoy mine for the next few weeks before I take some time off.
With love,
Jennifer