I first found this poem in a book called, Leading From Within – Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Lead.  As the editors say it in their opening note, “Our invitation to these leaders was simple: take a moment away from the sharp-elbowed context in which you do your work, step outside the cycle of pressure and demand, put aside your role and title, and speak to us about who you are, why you do what you do, and how you keep your heart and commitment alive in your work and leadership.”

From the inside cover: “In this beautiful collection of 93 poems, accompanied by a brief personal commentary, leaders reflect on how poetry helps them make sense of the challenges and possibilities in their work.”

This poem was submitted by Jake B. Shrum, the president of Southwestern University in Texas. He read it as part of his inauguration speech. Here are a few of his reasons from his personal essay for his choice of this poem:

• That which is worth cultivating takes time.
• We must be diligent about taking care of what is important, what is lasting.
• We cannot always see or understand how things or ideas grow and manifest themselves. Sometimes this happens quietly, without fanfare.

I love this poem for what it says to me about the work we do to support and encourage change and growth and transformation. It takes time and attention and hard work. It takes patience and persistence and trust in ourselves, in each other, and in the work we are doing.

Here is my reading of the poem. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The seven of pentacles, by Marge Piercy

 

PS: The seven of pentacles in the title comes from the Tarot card.

Things coming to fruition, hard work paying off, harvest, rewards, profits, results, pay-outs, manifestation of ideas or goals, inheritance, cultivation, growing, gestation, nurturing, perseverance, patience, planning, reviewing, taking stock, questioning, crossroads, approaching retirement, finishing what you started.

From: The TarotGuide.com