One of Stanley Kunitz’s best-loved poems is titled, “The Layers”. I remember reading this in a college lit class but back then it was just one more assignment.  Now that I’ve experienced four more decades of life it has new meaning.   It is a lengthy poem written toward the end of his life that reflects on the passage of time and milestones.

 But this one line, “Live in the layers, not on the litter” really struck home with me when I heard it recited this past week.   Kunitz is a gardener and his reference (I think) is to the process of composting that occurs in nature.  The leaves, twigs and branches fall to the floor of the forest where they decompose to form layer upon layer of rich, loamy soil. The metaphor for life is that all our experiences and life stages - good and bad - litter the forest that is our life and  decompose to create our personal history.

 His directive to “live in the layers” suggests that we accept it all as part of the whole, and don’t let the litter cloud the days ahead of us.  Consider failures, disappointments and challenges along with the successes and  joyful times as part of the soil that supports you.  

Don’t continue to live on the litter, let it become part of the whole.

 To read the complete poem, go to http://tinyurl.com/nyqbqq