Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Traveler Sits By the Well


Day19 of the Soul Card journey
with Elizabeth Crawford at Soul's Music
Soul Cards by Deborah Koff-Chapin at http://www.touchdrawing.com/


Traveler's arms
have tenderly
cradled
babies
and lovers,
have nurtured life,
have comforted
and have set free,
holding close
then letting go.

Life is
a long series
of releasing:
those one loves,
those one
cannot keep.
Hopes and dreams
slowly
fall away,
transmute into
something else:
this life,
the daily
small miracles,
and the
wonder
all around us.

At some point,
Traveler
has learned
to love best
this strange
odd lump
that is
her life,
turning and
turning it,
viewing it from
every outlandish
angle,
checking out
the spots
where it shines,
rubbing others
that still need
some polish.

At the end
of this journey,
she will 
say goodbye
even to this:
all that has been,
for good or ill,
all the heartbreak,
all the cackling laughter,
all the hard and satisfying work,
all the holding on,
the letting go,
the gains and losses,
farewell to
the forests
and the deep blue skies,
to the mountains
and the moon,
to sunrises and sunsets
beautiful enough
to break your heart.
All will be gone.
No, she
will be gone,
incomprehensibly,
no more turning
and turning.

But, till then,
Traveler
sits by the well
and drinks deeply.
She drinks
her fill.

44 comments:

  1. Beautiful, Sherry. Love what you did with this image. Turning and turning, pages, days, and years. We hold so much in this fragile vessell.

    Elizabeth

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  2. Oh so beautiful! I am thinking of thoughts, and how they come into our hearts and than pass on. Same as all that we love, as precious as thoughts, we can hold nothing. Is that the heartbreak, when we realize we can hold nothing. In the palm of tenderness just for a moment, and we are only a moment too. All is well, all is perfect, can't let it break your tender heart. Accept it, accept it all, love it, let it go.....drink to satisfaction.

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  3. A stunning piece, Sherry...full of the truth, the joy and the pain of being human.

    "Life is a long series of releasing", indeed...something I have difficulty doing. Your gentle words remind me to simply drink my fill of life each day while the world unfolds as it's meant to...:)

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  4. Life is certainly a strange journey, Sherry. A beautiful piece of writing. :-)

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  5. Holding close and letting go....is such a bittersweet part of the journey....this is a glorious poem Sherry!

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  6. One beautiful thing about this series of poems you have been writing is that they are telling a powerful. You bring it out so beautifully.

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    1. Yes, I agree with Salem. Now that we know (wonderfully expressed) what you'll miss :-) what is that well whispering to you?
      I also am enjoying this series.
      ZQ

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  7. "Traveler
    has learned
    to love best
    this strange
    odd lump
    that is
    her life"

    By the wall, by the well, on the road, I love the fullness of this!

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    1. From one strange odd lump to another: The process is amazing as is what we know, no matter how hard we have come to what we know. This is a lovely lovely acknowledgement of how much we release in the end.

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  8. Great work, Sherry. Third stanza is my favourite. The 'old lump' of life and its lessons speak to me; the polishing too. Every word in that stanza speaks to me and some. Glorious poem, yes!

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  9. Very lovely reflections Sherry on life and our journey ~ The moment is still the most important one to hold on to ~

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  10. Great thoughts...I can read this on and on...

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  11. drinking life to the lees while cherishing the small miracles...thats the ideal we all strive for, i guess.but very few can.

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  12. thats a lovely evocative haiku...loved the alliterative diction which creates a rugged consonantal rhythm.

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  13. Beautiful as ever, Sherry. I felt the tidal rhythm while reading this piece, hold... release... hold... release. You are one connected traveler.

    http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2012/06/18/tucson-summer/

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  14. Oh wow Sherry this is so good...

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  15. I enjoyed this journey with the Traveler and loved the ending especially.

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  16. i LOVE your writing, Sherry! this is such a beautiful telling of a life... a journey well worth taking!

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  17. This journey is nothing short of amazing and when you can do with this kind of vision, even better.

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  18. Yes, Sherry, Traveler DOES need to love her own life bet of all. If she does not love her own life, whose life should she love????

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  19. The story of a traveller's life. How magnificent! I hope someday to be as wise as the traveller, to tell my story so gracefully.

    Beautiful poem :)

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  20. beautiful piece.. it flows really well, puts you in a certain mood...and the ending is really wise and beautifully pictured.

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  21. What a journey it has been for some of us who never let the darkness in along the way. This is so beautiful, Sherry. Thanks for sharing it to us.

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  22. Perfect words for the human experience.

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  23. Drinking it all in deeply and getting the most out of it. Yes!

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  24. Sherry, loved the imagery you weaved into this poem.
    "to sunrises and sunsets
    beautiful enough
    to break your heart.
    " - oh, wow!

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  25. life is a long releasing...lot of truth in that.
    we have to remember though as we do let go
    that we must drink to fill ourselves back up
    or we will be good for nothing

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  26. Those long releasings can sometimes be painful, but also sometimes joyful...

    First Evening Shadows

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  27. Great journey. Filled with love and enlightenment. Good job Sherry!

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  28. Love the third stanza... polishing still where it needs it. And your closing... she drinks her fill. Powerful and sure. Enjoyed.

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  29. Comparing life to a "bauble in progress" could be very good advice, actually. Examine, polish. And don't stop.

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  30. this is beautifully written Sherry...as I read the poem I feel we need so many births to drink our fill
    ....

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  31. yes, well, in the meantime, I vote for more cackling laughter :) ~

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  32. Not sure where this came from but you have some darn good poetry happening here.

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  33. I am glad Traveler is enjoying life and in no hurry to depart!

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  34. wise description of the 'traveler.' ..~ especially I like 'She drinks her fill' ~ enjoyed your poem ~ thanks for stopping by ~ nice week ahead :)

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  35. Inspring poem! Looking forward to read more!

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  36. Sherry,

    A comprehensive journey through a life with contentment, desires and yet feeling fulfilled. A wonderful voyage shared Sherry:)
    Of course, there are many more miles to explore!!!
    Happy New Week,
    Eileen:)

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  37. Sherry, I smiled when I saw the image. And must only echo what I originally said on and in that journey. Your are a good companion,

    Elizabeth

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  38. A very beautiful write Sherry, I am glad the traveler is enjoying the journey. :)

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  39. I love the feeling of deep acceptance and peace in this poem, somewhat at odds with the more melancholy words. Long may you drink deeply, my friend!

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  40. What a wonderful work ! It reminds me of the line " I'll drink life to the lees'' from Ulysses ...

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