Heidi Woo – The Heart of Our Home

The Heart of Our Home is a poem about moving one’s life and a meditation on building a new life in a new place. Touching upon themes of nostalgia, renewal, and hope, Heidi Woo reflects on the act of transplanting the seeds of knowledge and love from one place to another in a world where more lives are becoming increasingly transient. Reminiscent of Ha Jin’s The Detached, the poem is imbued with a sense of optimism and possibility in the face of an uncertain future.

The Heart of Our Home

We filled our apartment
with things from another life:

books read and unread, artwork, photos –
objects containing memories from years past.

Beautifully arranged
to evoke inspiration for the viewer
to create a new life imagined,

To instill hope
that things would grow
from these seeds of good fortune.

Verdant, lush green leaves emerge
from these replanted roots.

A more spacious vessel,
this heart of our home.

Heidi Woo

Heidi Woo is a writer, therapist, and ceramic artist living in Brooklyn, NY. Her writing is intimately linked to her personal philosophy to approach everything in life as an education. Heidi wishes to build compassion and empathy through her writing by exploring topics on the ephemeral nature of life, fostering wellness during illness, and building human connection through various forms. Follow on Instagram @healingheidiwoo.

Author website