Frustration: The Art of Adjusting Our Reactions

What do I do with frustration?

It is like trying to jam a pillow into

a case that is too small.

I feel the physical strain of trying to

twist and turn and manoever it's

feather stuffed body,

but no matter the effort,

it is revealed that I will not

be able to manipulate it.

It's ripped out with a

loud impatient grunt...

leaving me now with a decision

to toss the pillow or the case,

because together,

they will only continue to be mismatched.

How can I view my frustration instead

like a balloon;

where I can acknowledge it's breadth,

the strain,

it's closeness to exploding...

but then choose to take

a tiny pin

push it in

allow the air to slowly, quietly, rhythmically

deflate

until all that remains

is the flaccid evidence of what was.

What Was

January 27, 2026

From "Daily Breadth"

Thank you for reading and considering these musings...

  To consider: what do you do to release frustration with a more controlled

awareness that it will pass?

Feel free to leave a comment at happyarethefeet@gmail.com or post your answer at barefoot_theology on Instagram #contemplativepoetry #deflatethefrustration #calmingthestorm