The Path That Led Somewhere, But Nowhere.
Kairos, the significance of the moment.
I followed a path that led somewhere,
But nowhere.
Someone had trampled the grass,
Grown over concrete laid in the 60s.
Excited and nervous
With fears of snakes, falling and threat.
I was happier on the return.
Childhood marked the start of the path.
A hollow pillar of concrete,
Filled with daisy heads floating in rain.
The rusted rebar stuck out the limb.
I used to play in places like this.
Flower art on the ground
Grew up to literate, vertical paint on the shed back wall.
Hanging out unseen.
I saw a teenage girl walking home from school, and I saw myself.
A middle-aged white dog came to see me, but was scared
Stroking her, she lay on the tarmac with
Her belly full of teats in the air.
In the warm sun.
I took time to tell her she was beautiful.
A young dog,
Jumping,
Excited,
At the end of a long rope.
Protecting a camper van,
Strong and lean.
“Can I stroke her?”
“No. She is wild.”
The trinity of church, cemetery, and retirement home.
Why do the windows face the cemetery?
A daily reminder of memento mori?
Do the elderly forget?
The excavator passed, carried by the convoi exceptionnel.
A cloud of dried concrete dust
And white dandelion seeds billowed behind.
Blown to tell the hour.
The sun burns gently on my arm,
Frayed flags of France and Savoie continue to rattle,
A torn flag unfolds towards the moon.
I turn the car key to go make supper.
Maria Sokolowska is a coach, photographer and writer. She playfully explores imagery to challenge perceptions and perspectives. She uses metaphors to help understand some of the ordinary and complex ideas we have about ourselves so that we can feel understood.
Maria is a qualified ACC coach with the International Coaching Federation. The ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Maria works with creative professionals, coaches, post-graduates, and volunteers with the Uprising UK Charity, which inspires young people from underrepresented backgrounds to move into leadership roles.
You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by following her newsletter on Substack.
