Poem: Instructions Found in an Old Journal by Jennifer Freya Helgeson

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Instructions Found in an Old Journal

Become extraordinary.

See the world.

Fall in love.

Change something important.

The handwriting

belongs to me,

though I hardly recognize it.

The list feels ambitious.

Earnest.

Beautifully uninformed.

I read it now

while standing in a kitchen

I never imagined.

A life I never planned.

Outside,

rain taps against the window.

Inside,

the kettle begins to whistle.

I have not changed the world.

I have changed

a handful of lives.

I have not become

who I expected.

But reading these instructions,

I feel something close

to forgiveness.

The younger self

was pointing

in the right direction.

Even if neither of us

knew the route.

Jennifer Freya Helgeson’s creative writing explores themes of memory, loss, nature, and human resilience. She holds a PhD in Environmental and Developmental Economics and has authored several peer-reviewed publications, co-edited textbooks, and published in several media outlets. She began writing poetry for publication in autumn 2025; her poetry has appeared in several online and print anthologies. Her debut poetry chapter book is available here.

When she’s not writing, Jennifer enjoys gardening, dancing, experimenting in the kitchen, and spending meaningful time with her dog, close friends, and family. She is on Instagram @jfhelgeson.