If this Poetic Interlude feels like a message or mirror, share it with someone who is looking to think about rest differently.
Think of a time when you wanted or needed to disappear into the waiting, to collapse time, and in the “genderless dark,” dream. What do you become?
In this Poetic Interlude, Rosa Castellano reads her poem “A GIRL THE COLOR OF A CRACKED WINDSHIELD WAITS WITH HER SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN A TUB—” from her debut poetry collection All Is The Telling.
Creatives, including poets, show us how to embrace our humanity and act on our truths. We in The Rest of Us community view this as a deep connection to one’s own agency — our definition of rest.
Settle into the work of Rosa Castellano and even explore your own creativity, which we define as liberatory rest.
Poem: “A GIRL THE COLOR OF A CRACKED WINDSHIELD WAITS WITH HER SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN A TUB—”
arms wrapped around knees
pressed to chest
in a kind of genderless
dark. Hoping for quiet
for the sound of something soft
to say the Hurricane
has passed. In the tub
the rise and fall of chest
of breath, of waiting
together—
knowing that if someone
came, turned on the lights
they’d find
a jar—glass, with a ship
inside. It’s ebony sails,
the dreamed-up
longed for
black-dark velvet
of the sky.
Reflections
If someone came mid-storm or in its aftermath, the speaker of this poem would say, “they’d find a jar–glass, with a ship inside.” Think of a time when you wanted or needed to disappear into the waiting, to collapse time, and in the “genderless dark,” dream. In that moment, that dream–either alone or with your loves, what do you become?
About the Poet
Newly appointed Poet Laureate of Richmond, VA, Rosa Castellano is the Literary Arts Director for Sundress Publications and co-founder of RVA Poetry Fest. Her writing appears in Poetry Northwest, Guernica, Bomb, Write or Die, and Lit Hub, among others. Her debut poetry collection, All is the Telling, is available now from Diode editions. Originally from Tampa, FL, she happily calls Richmond, VA home.
WEBSITE: https://www.rosa-castellano.com/
PUBLICATIONS: All is the Telling
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Meet the Host:
Dana Tenille Weekes
Dana Tenille Weekes made the conscious decision to live in a mindset of rest as self-liberation after nearly 15 years as a lawyer-lobbyist in Washington, DC. In 2020, Dana faced the darkest period of her life, which eventually led her to resign from a top global law firm and take a year-long journey of rest in 2022.
In 2023, Dana launched Thrive Architects, a strategic advising and professional development firm building advocacy, organizational health, and well-being platforms for organizations, communities, and people to thrive.
The Rest of Us podcast is one way Dana is building community for professionals and advocates on the brink of burnout to think about rest differently. If you’re interested in embracing rest as liberation, especially after the podcast episode ends, join our community where we converse, connect, cultivate, and lean into our creativity.