Treasure Chest by Gwen Higgins

September 7, 2023
Poem title: Treasure Chest Poet name: Gwen Higgins Poem: A mother’s world consists of countless interruptions, smashing her thoughts back to reality, back to the spilled cranberry juice, a red puddle of accusation on the carpet. All attention, however fragmented, must be aimed at the child at hand, by the mother. Ideas fall away in a shower of glittering fragments, yet tiny moments of clarity remain. Collect the shards, crystalline, sparkling, porcelain, mirrored, agate. Salvage them. Capture them in your notebook. Treasure them. The child will grow, And you will have created a shimmering mosaic; words and ideas, lost times, sketches, questions. Your notebook is your treasure chest. Not a word will ever be wasted. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Gwen Higgins Gwen Higgins is a student in the SFU Writer’s Studio program in 2023. She previously studied with Leesa Dean in the Selkirk College Creative Writing program. A former chemical engineer, she now works as an accountant in the public service. Higgins lives in Castlegar, BC, with her husband, daughters, and loyal Shih-Tsu Charlie, and loves hiking, knitting & crochet, and being outdoors. She also volunteers as a Girl Guide leader.