Ride On

I am reading a collection of Poetry at the moment by Claire Williamson, called "Ride On", and they are snapshots of her pain at given moments, and her reactions to this attack on the safety of her world.  These poems are clearly a way of making sense, and understanding, the terrible onslaughts of emotions.

What I find particularly clever and the hook for me is the way Claire focuses on the trivia of life.  This is so perceptive.  When all else is failing and stumbling around you, you don't focus on the big thing, you hang on to the small familiar objects, routines and minutiae.  

Claire does this so well, instead of tackling the whole dynamics of earth shattering emotions, she explores it through the possession, and personalities of the person and the world they lived in.

I do this a lot with Toby.  I don't discuss and deal with the massive things – I concentrate and focus on the little things – "look this is what he can do now…" Oh doesn't he look sweat shaking his head" – as if the whole situation is larger than the view in front of me, and I can only chip at it a chunk at a time.  

If I took the whole picture on board I would drown in the slurry of self-pity – and so would the person who asked !!.