12 April 2026
By Philip Kuepper
‘Mornings I rise
through layers of entombed
sleep. I surface.
I wake. I breathe.
I grab hold the oars
of consciousness. I rise
from oblivion to awareness.
The morning is mine to row.
The oars are light, solidified.
The oars guide.
The waters of the day are
what I make them:
stream,
lake,
river,
bay,
ocean.
Oars navigate my passage.
Oars address the water.
Oars and water converge, converse,
theirs a language that rows me
through this time I am.
Awake in the wake of time, I row.’
(25 March 2026)


This feels quietly powerful. The imagery of rowing through consciousness is simple yet deeply grounding—it turns an ordinary morning into something intentional and meaningful. There’s a calm strength in the idea that the day becomes what we shape it to be. A very gentle and reflective piece that stays with you.