The Velocity of Change 

If you drop a plate, or in  

frustration, throw it against  

a wall—Well, you get the idea. 

Speed releases violence. 

Or you could use it every day 

and wash it and dry it and care  

for it through the long years of  

intimacy
 

until one day its bond might 

crack of its own sweet weight. 

And you might take the piece 

that looks like a small mountain 

and sand its edges
 

and carry it in your pocket 

to remind you of a long life 

with another.
 

In time, you might give it 

to a favorite student or a  

friend’s grandson. 

And use it to tell 

the story of your life. 

A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, tell the story of a time when your hastiness broke something and tell the story of a time when the slowness of your care let something grow. 

This is from my book of poems, Unadorned.  

You can follow Mark on Facebook and Instagram.  

For more information about Mark’s books and upcoming events, visit MarkNepo.com and ThreeIntentions.com.  

Information about his upcoming webinars, can be found at Live.MarkNepo.com. 

Sept 8-10: Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT, Falling Down and Getting Up: The Practices That Keep Us Human. (web link) 

Sept 15-17: The Sophia Institute, Charleston, SC, Falling Down and Getting Up — Discovering your Inner Resilience and Strength. (web link) 

Nov 9-12: Santa Sabina Center, San Rafael, CA, Four-Day Retreat, Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity. (web link) 

Jan 7-13, 2024: Global Journeys, Guanacaste Costa Rica, Saying Yes to Life: The One Life We’re Given — A Weeklong Retreat. (web link ) 

Feb 5-10, 2024: Modern Elder Academy, Baja, Mexico, Falling Down and Getting Up: Discovering Your Own Resilience and Strength (web link)