Expansion
a sonnet
Expansion's subject matter and vocabulary stem from work I have been doing with dream analysis. I used my dream journal as a word bank, selecting images and themes that resonated with my shifting spirituality. The Jungian idea that a house often represents a belief system became the poem’s central metaphor. In my recurring dreams, houses appear in transition—collapsing, being abandoned, or feeling unfamiliar—symbolizing the process of questioning old beliefs and making space for something more expansive.
Structurally, I chose the sonnet form because its progressive nature aligns with the poem’s narrative arc. The first quatrain establishes my initial state, the second quatrain marks a moment of rupture, and the sestet offers resolution in a new, uncertain yet open-ended space. This deliberate use of structure reinforces the theme of transformation, as does the poem’s shift in tone—from lament to wonder.
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May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you wherever he may send you; may he guide you through the wilderness; protect you through the storm; may he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you; may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.
I so love that the one enjambment comes in lines 11-12, just when you're talking about love crossing the clear boundaries laid down by certitude of belief.