Time has flown this year. June almost upon us, and my poetry has been parked owing to work commitments. But today, as the temperatures soar in England, I’ve stopped and revisited Stepping, one of my poems.

Taking time to switch off is so important, yet sometimes we forget to pay attention to our wellness. I’m not sure I signed up for a life working to please others, yet somehow I’ve slipped back into old habits. The good news is that a few days off has reminded why I had remained self-employed so long.

I read my book, The Shape of Loss today, and stumbled across Stepping, and whilst it was written about the long-tailed life of grief, it seems appropriate as a reminder to never fear change.

Stepping (copyright, Kate Taviner 2025)

I wish you were here,
to share your wise thoughts
as I consider a life elsewhere.
For too long, I've been tangled 
in a rubber band that pulls me back
again and again to the past.

They say that the grass isn't greener,
but how will I ever know
unless I take a step, towards
a new life, new place, new friends? 

So, with one foot in the future, it's time
to drag my other leg up to speed.

Otherwise, I might well spend the rest of my life
standing on one leg.

And so with new resolve, I’m going to take my own advice. I’ll write every morning before I start work, because if I wait for the right time, it will never arrive.

That’s all for today. Short, sweet, but a successful step towards writing for myself again.

I’ll be back soon,

Kate