Favorite Blanket // by Hollie Ziskind

The quilted blanket of stories lies under me now.
Brown, green, blue, gray,
Lines, squares, boxes, squiggles,
Where I curled up in the warm, unsewn
Pieces waiting to be stitched by me.
This twists and turns stand by to unfold,
Faces wait to reveal themselves
As I float above in the ether,
Waiting to become one
With the infinite mystery that is You.
Then I realize I already am.

Reflective Essay by Hollie Ziskind

I wrote Favorite Blanket from thirty thousand feet. I was flying home from Colorado to Tennessee. As the view out the tiny window quickly changed from snowy peaks to craggy mounds to vast, open plains, I stared and admired the beautiful patchwork of earth revealed to me, like a secret.

A blanket began to appear where dark squares of tall corn cut against pale rectangles of beans, the lines where farm met road, and field paralleled river. This was a view I had enjoyed countless times before but somehow it made me feel different this time. My spiritual journey had brought me to such a place where I became acutely aware of the interconnectedness of all life through all eternity.

I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the tiny pieces of the “quilt” that I had fashioned: mother, daughter, wife, poet, friend, teacher, mystic. I also found a sense of deep connection to the Divine, almost the same as when I stare into the great beyond of the night sky when it is clear and lit with millions of brilliant stars, illuminating the light of my soul.


About Hollie Ziskind

Born on the northern plains, I’ve lived most of my life in Memphis, where I find inspiration in flowing waters and falling leaves, among other things. In my work, I have had many iterations in pursuit of a paycheck including, but not limited to: delivery girl, journalist, caterer, consultant, detective, and tattoo artist. But I have always been a writer.

Certified two years ago in the Amherst Writers and Artists method, I facilitate writing workshops for teens and adults. I love writing with others and helping them find their creative voices. I also knit, paint and collage when possible. Mother of two boys, 10 and 5, we hunt for talking animals and magical stones during the day and slay dragons at night. In my next life, I will write more, and sleep.

For now, I am a yogi-mother-artist-consultant-poetess-teacher-writer-and-lover-of-the-living-world; healing, awakening, transforming.

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