something I do

Someone told me to write

My too-big-feeling feelings down

On small bits of paper

And burn them or throw them away

As a way to see the big feeling, name it

Then let it go, let it evaporate.

Someone told me this is what she does.

I didn't want to burn my feelings

So what if I wrote them down

Or origami paper

And turned them into cranes?

I walked to the store from my office

To get popcorn kernels for my husband.

There's a particular kind he says 

Pop bigger and they weren't there

When he went last. 

On my way back to my office

I remembered the art store.

Walked in and bought

Two packs of origami paper

One with designs visible

And one just white.

The white ones are for painting

With water colors before folding

And I thought I wouldn't end up

Using the white ones at all.

So I fold a couple birds a week

All colorful and filled with worries.

This is something I do now.

Tonight someone passed away

And I found an important use

For the blank white paper.

A white crane sits on the dining room table.