The PocketRock Heart Project: Epilogue—Where Do We Go from Here? (Part 8)

By Maik Strosahl

I am not delusional. I know a PocketRock will not lead to world peace, cure Covid, or prove once and for all the existence of a creator. But, in my experience, I know it can touch hearts.
    I am just beginning on this new journey, a venture of reconnection, perhaps a path of redemption.
    Already the response has returned so many blessings. In-person visits, phone calls, and text conversations—I even received a beautiful hand-written card from my 4^th-grade teacher, the one I credit with first encouraging me to write.
    Since family and friends have spread across the world, I am only able to meet with a few to give them their PocketRock Hearts in person, so I have started mailing packages that include a note with a poem, a general message briefly explaining the project, an invitation to Moristotle & Co. for the rest of the story, and a personally selected PocketRock Heart.

(The poem printed on the note appears below.)

    I am a flawed man who has made many mistakes. Some I am sending to are probably not going to welcome the gesture, but I feel the effort is still worth my time. At least they will know I think of them.
    These last few years especially, we have all lost loved ones. Each one of us has an expiration date stamped upon our time on this planet. Something could happen this very day that would take away that last opportunity to reach out, to make that connection again. I am determined not to let another mentor, friend, or family member leave without letting them know how I feel about them.
    From time to time, I will return to write about this project. Already some of the conversations it has sparked feel like they too should be told.
    So, now, I turn to you. What could you do to reach out, letting those who have been special to you know their value in your eyes? It doesn’t have to be a rock. It can be anything that would mean something to you and your important friends and family members. Please, do not wait, do not miss out on the moment.

    And share your stories. I would love to hear your tales of reconnection. All it takes is a little time for you to decide….
    What will your PocketRock Heart Project be?

    Here is the poem from the note shown above, originally titled “The Pocket Heart”:


When I was a sinking rock,
awkward and cumbersome,
when I was distant,
hateful and careless,
when I was heavy,

It was you
who picked me up,
kept me safe in your pocket,
a heart secreted away,

And I have not forgotten
how I walk today
because of you—
still a bag of stones,
but sharper edges broken,
worn more smooth with polish.

These times are difficult,
who knows how much
we each may have?
Let us spend ours
not in worry
over a moment of passing,
but in gratitude for
these years shared.

I chose
to think myself back to you
and how we all began together,
pieces of clay molded,
standing up and walking,
flesh and blood
bleeding across
the rock of this earth,

You and this beating heart
the one held in your hands,
one you hid away safe
in your pocket.

Copyright © 2022 by Maik Strosahl Michael E. Strosahl has focused on poetry for over twenty years, during which time he served a term as President of the Poetry Society of Indiana. He relocated to Jefferson City, Missouri, in 2018 and currently co-hosts a writers group there.