Other (Give it Time)
Other by Tanner Olson
From the poetry collection, I”m All Over The Place.
Want to listen to the poem be read?
Check out episode 67 of The Walk A Little Slower Podcast.
Give it time.
You'll make it to the other side, but for now -
For now - you are here,
Where uncertainty and questions and truth and dad jokes collide and live side by side
Where everything is visible and out of sight;
Wild & calm.
Here, where there aren’t enough cups of coffee or smiles or tacos
Where seven billion of us stand together and alone beneath the sun and moon;
Storms and stars
But give it time.
You'll make it to the other side,
And for now...
Come alive.
Throw a pizza party.
Order a milkshake, order two milkshakes, order everyone a milkshake.
Get lost within the beauty of daydreaming, only to wake to chase them down.
Listen like every sentence is a secret and it's third grade again, and they are asking, “Do you want to know who likes you?”
Check yes when you can.
Respond with kindness.
Replace hate with love.
Spread hope like Nutella, because we can never have enough of both.
Search for answers with humility,
Live with palms face up,
Give grace to the dark places of your life,
And when you dance,
Because you were made to dance,
Dance like no one’s watching
And if they are, give them something to see.
Seek a forever beyond the heavy chaos of living and evening traffic and grocery stores full of hard avocados and broken smiles.
Find magic and don't let it go.
Embrace the weird.
Protect passion.
Meet peace in the escaping present.
And like Grandma said,
“Count your blessings,” and when you get to a-million-and-one, Don't be done- start again.
Hold on to compassion and curiosity as you step and stumble to where you are going.
And when you stumble get up and keep going.
Keep going like it's going to be okay.
Face fear.
Pray on bent and broken knee
Stand up and step again
And when you stand to step
Step to stand up for what is right
Stand up against what is wrong
Stand up for those who have gone on
Pause in the presence of beauty and photograph the memory with your own.
Risk everything even if you’re the only one who sees why
Chase a sunset and take a bite out of the cotton candy sky
Stay for tomorrow,
Live with more love than yesterday
Walk with the weary
And learn their songs and sing them with your soul
Write and speak honest words of love
Shout a song of celebration and
Celebrate good news.
Scream beneath the rain until your mouth fills with a sip and let that sip turn into a smile.
Create art and nachos and sandcastles and share them with our world.
Tell your story, the one you're living, the one that is changing our world, because you are changing our world.
And watch.
Watch it continue to spin and change.
Invite others to join the change
Take root and hold each other up
Call patience close and push comparison far, far away
And be the awakened.
Remain the awakened.
Go North to South, East to West
Sit on a front porch and be.
Just be.
Be present.
Give it time and we will get to the other side.
About the Author
Tanner Olson is an author, poet, speaker, and podcaster living in Nashville, Tennessee.
He is the author of I’m All Over the Place, As You Go, Walk A Little Slower, and Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope.
You can find Tanner Olson’s books on Amazon.
His podcast is The Walk A Little Slower Podcast with Tanner Olson and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.
Tanner Olson travels around the country sharing poetry, telling stories, and delivering messages of hope.
You can follow Tanner Olson on Instagram (@writtentospeak) and Facebook where you’ll daily find encouraging words of faith and hope.
Tanner Olson wearing a Written to Wear t-shirt. grab one here: writtentowear.com
Do you enjoy these blog posts?
Perhaps you’d like to join my Patreon Community.
This community allows me to visit more classrooms, write more poetry and blogs, and to spread hope in new ways!
When you become a Patreon you’ll get exclusive poems & videos, new writings, discounts on merch, & more.