I’ve been reading a lot about how to heal my thyroid. One of the suggestions was a “Butterfly” meditation, sitting in the sun and imagining wings stretched wide, soaking up the rays of light.

I tried it this morning, basking in the gift of warmth, filling my heart with gratitude for my incredible body and its healing powers.

It reminded me of a poem I wrote last Spring, On a cracked city sidewalk, signs of life are everywhere

“They say the thyroid gland
is shaped like a butterfly
I picture mine,
broken winged
inside my throat,
struggling to voice
something more than defeat

It’s true we are in trouble,
our bodies fragile
eco-systems
fighting to breathe
while disappearing bees
and evergreens make room
for concrete and currency;
hearts break with clogged
arteries while riverbeds
fill with waste

And yet, even here,
in the middle of city,
I see now why it’s called
an urban jungle 
For as much as we try, 
we cannot escape
the vines of life entwined,
wrapped around our limbs

Our arteries rich 
with the oxygen of trees 
and the hydrogen 
of streams
may the sweetness 
of honeysuckle
invade my heart forever”

The full poem is an ode to nature, life, and our tender relationship with each other. May it offer you the same hope I feel, coursing through my sun-soaked cheeks. ☀️🦋