Ada Limon: Instructions on Not Giving Up
More than the fuchsia funnels breaking out
of the crabapple tree, more than the neighbor’s
almost obscene display of cherry limbs shoving
their cotton candy-colored blossoms to the slate
sky of Spring rains, it’s the greening of the trees
that really gets to me. When all the shock of white
and taffy, the world’s baubles and trinkets, leave
the pavement strewn with the confetti of aftermath,
the leaves come. Patient, plodding, a green skin
growing over whatever winter did to us, a return
to the strange idea of continuous living despite
the mess of us, the hurt, the empty. Fine then,
I’ll take it, the tree seems to say, a new slick leaf
unfurling like a fist to an open palm, I’ll take it all.
Discussion Questions
What resonated with you in this piece?
How does the nature imagery throughout this piece relate to the dynamic nature of emotions?
We’ve all experienced dynamic and complicated emotions over the last 2 years, how have these pieces helped you unpack those emotions?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“The imagery in this poem is out of this world! The packed descriptions force me to slow down and picture it all - the trees, the blossoms, the fallen flowers.. the greens, the fuchsia, the slate blue sky.” —@rebeccacgk
“I’m working with a group of anesthesiologists preparing for BASIC. The poem made me think about their experiences in hospital juxtaposed with board prep and culture of silence they fear when test achievement does not reflect clinical knowledge and skills.” —@LAS_Inc_
““Patient, plodding, a green skin growing over whatever winter did to us…” Ah, the resiliency (love/hate that word) of all healthcare workers everywhere, ever.” —@LaurNavitskyMD
About this #MedHumChat
“Instructions on Not Giving Up” was paired with “Damming the River” by Rachel Remen for a #MedHumChat on Nov 3, 2021 about Unpacking Emotions.
The pieces for this chat as well as the accompanying discussion questions were curated by Carly Sokach (@CarlySokach).
About the Author
Ada Limón is a poet from Sonoma, California who has been a fellow at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center as well as a Guggenheim Fellow.