inspirational, leisure

Rent Free Poem Week 2: Day 2

Posted by Sandhya on

Hello rockstars, 

As those of you who read yesterday’s post know, it’s time for another “Rent Free Poem” Week!

Some of you might remember the first edition back in February 2024 (posts linked at the bottom). That was right before Tay’s TTPD dropped. And funny enough her newest album, Life of a Showgirl, comes out this Friday. I guess I’m more aligned with Taylor than I thought… though let’s be real, her productivity is goals.

What is Rent Free Poem Week?

So what is rent free poem week? Every day for a week, I pick a poem that’s been living rent-free in my head since I read it, and I write about it. For this, I have to channel all my 10th-grade English reading comprehension skills, but sadly there are no SparkNotes for these poems. So here is me, taking my shallow take on deep poems and hoping I can half-as-eloquently describe how these beautiful pieces of writing made me feel. 

On that note; here’s Week 2; Day 2: 

Meeting with Self In One Year’s Time by Jess Janz

There is so much I don’t know, standing
here at the shore of this wanting: if
a boat will indeed appear, if you
will get in it, who will join (if you
let them), and where it’s
all heading

I wonder if we will laugh about
this time, how I knew less about
love than ever, put everything in
storage (again) to make it feel like
my life was on the move, worried
(again) that the dream is too loft
or if I am too feeble to carry it safely

I hope you stopped starting
each day thinking it would be
the one where you wake up
and change your entire
way of being

I hope you know that wherever
you are, I will meet you there.

One thing is for sure: there’s so much I don’t know.

Sometimes I have these bullish moments where I feel like I’m nailing it — making good decisions, trusting my gut, and confidently navigating right from wrong. But the second you get comfortable in life, that’s when the universe chimes in like, “Oh, you think you’ve got this? Cool. Let’s throw something else at you. Don’t worry! You’ll grow from it and build character.”

Like, my character is fine, thanks. She’s on Season 3 now — same recurring side characters, but the plot twists keep coming out of nowhere just to keep the audience engaged.

A lot of times, I sit down to journal about my future; imagining best-case scenarios for things that are quietly sitting in the back of my mind. Not quite anxiety-inducing, but lingering. Stuff like:
“We’re going to win the case for our client.”
“That thing I’m stressed about with this guy? It’ll be fully resolved.”
“I’ll become a billionaire in a year.”
You know… typical daydreaming.

But this kind of journaling is always easier when I’m coming from a place of contentment rather than lack. When I’m anxious, stressed, or worried about the future, “best-case scenario” journaling turns into a turtles-all-the-way-down kind of situation.

Still, maybe the poem is right. Maybe if we stopped putting so much pressure on ourselves to constantly change or improve, we’d be better off. Maybe, just maybe, the people who love us will meet us exactly where we are — no pressure, no expectations. Just open, welcoming arms.

Last night, I went on a walk with my friend Michael. I love our walks. We always go to one of our favorite neighborhoods (none of us live there), stroll around the lake, and scout for our future homes. I definitely have 3–5 contenders I check every time, hoping for a spontaneous For Sale sign to appear.

Walking with Michael always fills me with gratitude. Michael is one of the few people that I can rant about absolutely anything to. I don’t think there is a single rant that I’ve had in the last 16 years of knowing him where he judged me for what I was saying, feeling, or how I was reacting. And I think he’s one of the only people (non-family) that I can say that about.

Michael is one of those people who meets me where I am. And before we hang out, I never feel pressured or obligated to show up in a certain way or change who I am to fit the bill of who he thinks I should be. Instead, we show up, we walk, we get distracted, we laugh, and we walk some more.

And maybe that’s the whole point.

Maybe the real goal is to find people who meet you where you are. I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive to grow or change. I’m also not suggesting we use that as an excuse to stay stagnant and still expect the world (or other people) to bend to us.

But maybe if you put good out into the world, good will find its way back. And maybe (just maybe), the things stressing you out right now will all be resolved. In a year. In six months. Maybe even in three weeks.

Perhaps the best we can do is hope for the best, act as thoughtfully as we can in the moment, and trust that when we look back a year from now, we’ll see today with a soft gaze and a kind heart.

Past Rent-Free Poems: 

Until next time!

xo

Sandhya

If you would like to celebrate my 30th year around the sun with me, then please click the follow or subscribe button! Feel free to connect with me through this platform, twitter, my coffee and checkins Instagram, my podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or Amazon Music, or email me at coffeeandcheckins@gmail.com! If you have any suggestions for topics or anything you’d like me to write/speak about, please let me know🙂❤

3 Comments Add yours

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