Grounding

She had the confidence of someone
who could read a book
while the roof collapsed around her,

eat a chocolate biscuit with two hands,
blow her nose in public and not apologise,
approach a stranger and say
‘Your baby is incredibly beautiful.’

She was the kind of person
who admitted to not understanding
what was happening in a work meeting,

who followed recipes but adapted them,
who proudly enjoyed reality TV,
who said ‘No’ and ‘Yes’ when she meant it,

who taught us: when the world looks
like it’s melting into every colour imaginable
and your skin wants to escape, take a moment

to think of five things you can see,
four things you can hear,
three things you can feel,
two things you can smell,
and one thing you can taste

to remember the floor is still beneath you.