Anaïs Nin

Anaïs Nin, LA Times

I was decluttering my office this week and stubbled upon an old copy of The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume Two. It happens to be a well-loved library book that has been with me for three decades and as many countries. I’m not even sure how I ended up with a library book from a state I’ve never lived in (?) but somewhere along the line it became mine and has survived the various edits I’ve made to my library over the years. 

And yet, I don’t remember having read it. Why do I keep it? I’m not sure. But a clue is the post it note I found stuck in the middle with this quote:

- Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. 

Today's poem is by Anaïs Nin. It’s brief and to the point - and I think good way to kickstart the new year. 

Risk
by Anaïs Nin

And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.