When Words Won'T Come Poem by Diana van den Berg

When words won’t come
let them rest
and let your mind wander
in images and feelings of things
that matter to you -
through gardens
of wonder and woe
through joy
and sadness
through dilemmas
of the ant
and the elephant,
the child
and the adult,
the village
and the planet,
and bathe yourself
in these pictures and emotions
that matter to you,
in the style of your choice and the moment,
impressionistic or realistic
or gilded or horrific
and if you are patient
the words will come
when they are rested
and rejuvenated
and healed
and ready,

today, tonight, tomorrow
or soon,
not at your will,
but theirs.

So don’t chase them away
but leave them alone
and they will come home
wagging their tails
behind them.