I’ve been thinking about what rubs me the wrong way
What is uncomfortable
What makes me feel vulnerable and scared, mad and irritated
And I got to thinking about the pearl in an oyster
It got there for all the above mentioned problems
An irritant that didn’t get fixed or even addressed
But, something valuable is created by that friction
That frustration
The timer on the stove that just keeps beeping
A car alarm early on your day off
The dog barking in the middle of the night
A kid barfing
A divorce
and then a death
Staring at the coffin
Burying the dream that has died
And also grandma
Heat going out in an ice storm
An ice storm
Flight delays
Life delays
Spilled milk
It all aggravates and annoys
It’s more than spinach in your teeth
It’s pearl dust in the making
It’s sand, man, and it’s irritating
Relentless
Pursues you when you’re down
Piles on you when you’re stressed
It is stress
Sand between your toes feels good
Vacation
Island breezes
Tropical drinks with umbrellas
Sand in your shell is a rainstorm
And no umbrella
Late for work
And your period
It’s a pastor saying what you want to believe
But, don’t want to hear
Patience makes a pearl
But, so does time
And a whole lot of trouble