Jane Hirschfield's reason to take a cold splash in the morning - A brief poem

According to Jane, this is a "brief poem that holds the intention of my whole life and that of my poems. "  Here is Jane singing the song of acceptance, practicing to choosing to make the unwanted wanted.



A Cedary FragranceEven now,
decades after,
I wash my face with cold water –

Not for discipline,
nor memory,
nor the icy, awakening slap,

but to practice
choosing
to make the unwanted wanted.


by Jane Hirshfield, from Given Sugar, Given Salt, 2001 Here is Jane reading this poem. Start at around 2:00 -