Through Circular Motions
I wrote this poem a couple years ago to create space for the interconnected and complex emotions that come up during restorative practices. I’ve been attending The Summer Camp Society Restorative Justice training with Laura and Klee for the past couple weeks. Restorative practices are an integral part of the Stomping Ground community, when I first started working here two and a half years ago I learned about circles and how conflict can be a key to connection.
These practices have become deeply important to me. As I’ve been sitting in these trainings and listening to folks from around the country approach restorative practices from all different experiences and perspectives, this poem resurfaced in my thoughts. As I was writing it I wanted to know not just what restorative practices looked like, but what they felt, sounded, smelled, and tasted like. I wrote this poem so others could get a glimpse into some of those feelings, so you could be wrapped inside of them.
whispers scattering seeds
roots take shape
flourishing inside
circular motions
circles facilitate expression untangling unique sensations
trust roots itself inside
growth stunted by unsound constructions
linear mind brings destruction
messy habits fill cracks
unearth complexities and harsh realities
swaddle imperfections in vulnerability
complications bring redirections
wrapped in your mothers water
rushing, twisting, floating, sinking
be held, hold
care for
and from
tangled webs woven together
envelop yourself in a castle of thread
building blocks rearranged until you feel held
structures reimagined
cultivate space for transformation
interconnected souls
unearth connection
resurface pain
through circular motions
What does conflict look like through circular motions? Circles let people express and untangle what is often buried deep. I wanted this poem to unearth the intricacies and discomfort of sitting in circle with other people, of holding yourself and your community accountable. It’s not just about dropping expulsion rates or narrowing the school-to-prison pipeline; it’s also about entrenching and enriching our culture with practices that focus on healing and collective responsibility. Restorative practices are about repetition and mistakes and feeling held. They are about collective joy achieved through collaborative commitment.
I was first introduced to Restorative Justice in a college course titled Teaching and Learning When the World is on Fire. As I read more about these practices I started to see them as a type of sanctuary; a place for people to feel safe and to heal from the systems that cause them pain. Naomi Paik’s book Bans, Walls, Raids, Sanctuary and her teachings on abolitionist sanctuary helped me to come to this conclusion. She writes that sanctuary is, “the establishment of reciprocal relationships with each other, with the original inhabitants of this place, and with the land on which we all live, in pursuit of our collective future.” (Paik, 2020). It’s about building circular relationships.
The poem is also rooted in nature, just like restorative justice. Indigenous communities have been practicing this form of justice since time immemorial. Circular cycles are found all throughout the natural world, and we as humans are part of those cycles. This is one reason why restorative practices can sometimes feel familiar or comforting.
I am by no means an expert on restorative practices, in fact I still consider myself a beginner in a lot of ways. My goal with sharing this poem isn’t to teach about how to implement restorative practices at your camp (but if you’re interested in that, come to the restorative justice training next year!), it’s to share with you how those practices feel when your community is rooted in them in hopes of inspiring you to move through circular motions.
Maddy is a director at Camp Stomping Ground. They love helping kids be creative, being outdoors, and embracing chaos. This year they are helping with registration, staffing, and connecting with camper families.
