Friday, October 7, 2011

Traveler at Home


Real Toads has offered an intriguing prompt today: to write something about oneself so readers can get to know more about the person, not just his or her poetry. Cool. I could go on for hours in prose, but poetry is a bit of a challenge. Let's give it a go. I doubt the result will be a poem, we'll see what happens.

Welcome.

Come into my abode and have a look around.
I'll put the kettle on.We'll hear it sing.
Come sit upon my gigantic comfy couch
that dwarfs this small room
but offers comfort, rest,
when weary Travelers fall into its welcoming arms
to replenish for the journey.

I've been a Traveler since I was small,
in search of  Home it took me decades to find
within my own soul.

I have never traveled very far,
in miles,
yet through my wall of books
have wandered the whole world.
I have my favorite spots:

Tibet. Africa. Machu Picchu.
The ocean - the wild west coast of Vancouver Island,
and all the untamed places of the earth,
where beauty and nature reign
and wild creatures still walk freely on the land.

The inner distance,
that is something else again:
light years to this place
from where I started out,
and then full circle back
to my own hearth fire,
to make the trek complete.

I love best dogs, small children
and old people, and they tend to love me back.
I try to keep a true and honest heart,
to stay grateful, to give whatever it is
I have to give.
On the harder days, I find something
to cackle about, to lift my spirits.

You can see, on my walls,
the things I love:
wolves, and elephants, lions and dogs,
Tofino, Tibetan singing bowls and prayer wheels,
the Dalai Lama,
Asian figures, African drums, First Nations masks,
and a South American rainstick.
A thousand books. Shelves of music of all types.
Stacks of wonderful movies.
Enough to keep me entertained
for the rest of my life.

There is Enough in my life,
for my needs are simple,
 a roof, a little food and time -
time to rest and write and remember,
a gift of days to finish writing it all down,
and to walk through rainforests
in this autumn of my life.

My well being comes from peacefulness,
from a contented and ever-grateful heart,
from the beauty of this miraculous planet,
the comforts of my little home,
and connection with the wider world
through my tapping on these magic keys.

From my first comforting morning cup of tea
to my last read of the day before I turn off the light,
this is my world, a simple one,
pleasing to me.

No more tea?
I'll bid you well, then
as you go.
And thank you for
your gift of stopping by.

18 comments:

  1. Wow - you weren't kidding about the books. I have storage issues in this regard.

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  2. All of this, and I know that it's the tip of the ice-berg that is Sherry!

    Thanks for sharing an intimate view, and a cup of tea.

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  3. Wonderful glimpse into you and your life Sherrie. I especially like the stanza and inner distance.

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  4. Aww... how cozy! It sounds like you are very content. We have a lot in common, too...love for dogs, children, old people, the having travelled the world through books, the living life simply... loved this. Thanks for taking part, Sherry!

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  5. Wonderful, Sherry. I love the wall of books. I've always had bookcases everywhere, once even a small one for "bathroom books".
    Thank you for the tea and the tale. Very nicely done. I had already filled in a few blanks, but now I can see you where and as you are now, not where we were decades ago.
    I don't know if I can even begin to draw myself in words. I think I'll think about it, though.

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  6. please get that tea kettle going, sherry, i am on my way! i want hours with you in that space.

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  7. Sherry, I loved getting to know you through this poem. I would love to sit with you, share a morning with you and tea. I would love to look at your books, as the books one keeps tells so much about a person. We could talk about dogs and young children for hours. I know it would be a most pleasant visit, as my visits to your blog always are! (Maybe someday we can really make it happen.)

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  8. Lovely, gosh I'd love to have all those BOOKS!~!
    I had to throw all of mine away when I moved across the pond and start all over again.
    What a lovely welcome it would be to visit your home Sherry.

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  9. This was a lovely poem about a lovely woman. You have soooooo many books, they are truly a wonderful means of escape, aren't they. This was a beautiful read & a nice insight into you as a person.

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  10. I almost feel as though I've paid you a visit! Thank you.

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  11. Such a wonderful tea and sip of Sherry!

    You're a comfort for sure sweet lady.

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  12. Thanks for sharing, Sherry! Nice to get to know you. I, too, have many books, but mine are in various places in my house, so I have no idea just how many. And your photos, just breathtaking. Looks like we might also share a love of rocks. Amethyst, those two in the front of your picture? I'm not too far from Bancroft, Ontario, where they have a large amethyst deposit, as well as a lot of other minerals. Thanks for the tea!

    Carol A. Stephen
    aka Quillfyre

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  13. This is wonderful! So content and peaceful.

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  14. How lovely! The format works well here. Thanks for welcoming us into your world!

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  15. This was beautiful and I share many of your loves! I so enjoyed this inside view and the tea! I feel peaceful when I visit you~xo

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  16. Sherry, you live a great life, and I love all those bookshelves!

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Thank you so much for visiting. I appreciate it and will return your visit soon.