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First Substack post; off-the-brush meditation

At least three years late to the game, I’ve decided to start a Substack, mostly because Instagram’s character limit and cruel algorithm are starting to test me.

The newsletter launches with my annual birthday eve calligraphy and meditation.

Hope you enjoy and please share if you do.

Warmest wishes,
Jenny

孝, filial piety

Radical 125 老 (‘old’) leans on radical 39 ⼦ (‘child’).
孝, filial piety.
Is this not the natural structure of things? 

38 years ago, a 38-year old woman gave birth to me.
Sisters across time, I hold my hand out to her.
Thank her for giving me life, ask forgiveness
that I cannot give hers back. 

The last of my girlfriends peel away from me;
as golden petals dropping from a chrysanthemum.
Embedded with new life, they glow with new purpose.
Four decades old not yet century eggs
can become zygotes, oh miracles do happen.
We chirp! we clap! we throw showers and wave them off. 

I feel lonely. 

Unscripted intermission; suddenly a midpoint.
I glance back at the years behind,
look forward to the years ahead.
Nothing uncoils until I write my story. 
She has lived my lifetime
twice over; what does she have to teach me? 

I have made it this far and I’m still the child. I’m sorry
I expected you to know everything. Let me support you,
I will be mother now.
You can lean on me until you return to the eternal embryo.

And when I am twice my age, I will 
reach out to myself today and say
- it's ok. It will all be ok.