Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Traveling In Tandem


Traveler has made such a long journey
since her blue-eyed boy was born,
those big guileless eyes, looking up,
uttering truths, trusting,
even though his nights were 
so often peopled 
with monsters.

The journey he took into the life 
of his tortured mind
at seventeen
was fraught with pain,
and watered with a mother's tears.
Yet now they both say those years,
that long hard journey,
each of them at the other end of the phone,
a conversation that spanned twenty years
of healing and growth,
was one they might not have made
by any other pathway,
and for that
they are grateful.

He journeys now at times
through other galaxies,
sometimes calls her from the astral plane,
tells her his third eye has opened,
he is now awakened.
She listens carefully, with respect,
for in every journey,
there are deep teachings, 
wisdom to learn,
deep truths to impart
and to receive.
He dances to a music
the rest of us cant hear,
but he is happy to share,
so she listens closely, 
attempting to discern 
the melody.

Her blue-eyed boy is a man now
who says his spirit longs for the wild,
that he wants to return to being
a grown-up child.

Mothers' hearts break during such journeys.
But also, hearts inevitably
heal and mend.
The gift of being brave enough
to make a journey this precarious,
is that mother and son 
have become best friends.



Gabriella at dVerse has set us the wonderful prompt: Travel. One of my names is Traveler, many of my poems having been written on this topic. So I tapped out another, having just returned from a visit to my blue-eyed boy.

23 comments:

  1. This brought tears to my eyes, Sherry - what an opened-hearted love letter to your son - beautiful! K

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  2. This is a very moving and personal take on the prompt, Sherry. The journey a mother and son walk together is theirs and theirs only. It is good that you can be so close thanks to those long phone conversations.

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  3. Sherry, you have definitely traveled a long distance with your son....I think you are right that in every journey there are deep teachings. We do have to pay attention to them. Sherry, you are a good mother for doing just that.

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  4. Beautiful. Your poem actually makes it sound easy. The two of you have earned that ease after journeying such troubles and love together. I hope he likes the poem. Maybe he'll make it into a song.

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  5. We whelp them, never stop loving them, but once they test their wings, their solo flights are beyond our control. It is a wise parent, indeed, that finds the ability to extend respect for their choices; withholding advice, offering succor & support when needed. My heart does break though for the millions of parents in the third world without our advantages, the leisure to have insights, & too often the loss of their children much too soon; victims of birth & circumstance as the angry god of Chaos does
    its dance of death.

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  6. Dear Sherry,
    I cannot stop my tears from falling .. mother and son, both blessed to have each other, know each other, respect each other's space. You are special ...

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  7. This resonated so much with me that it choked me up. I believe we may share some very similar stories. Thank you for sharing this. :)

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  8. Very poignant, Sherry. I have come to believe that when children know you have their back "unconditionally" and listen to them (regardless of anything else) love (eventually) finds the way to a good place.

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  9. I have tears in my eyes when reading this.. what a hard way to grow up, the rough paths you had to travel, but at the end there is that reward of having a blue-eyed friend.

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  10. I am pleased you are close to your son and share an understanding.

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  11. such a blessing to read your mother's heart ~ i'm happy to read such joy and happiness at the reunion ~

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  12. what a wonderful space to be in!..god bless...

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  13. Motherhood is an unknown land, those who journey there do so without a map or compass, with only faith in the child as guide. It is perilous but rewarding.

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  14. He dances to music most of us can't hear, but he dances and that's what's important. So nice that you're best friends now, but I can imagine the ups and downs of your journey.

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  15. It was no mistake that you both chose each other...you as mother, he as son to teach and learn from each other and to come together as tight friends. I'm so happy for you both. What a blessing...something that all mothers wish for.

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  16. i'm glad that you became best friends...sometimes we cannot understand the journeys our kids do and the paths they take - but it's just so important that they know we try to understand and that we're there for them

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  17. You both have learned so much from each other-your journey is a gift!! Wise Owl Woman keep traveling onward to your beloved blue wisdom~

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  18. This is really moving and beautiful, Sherry.

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  19. This is filled with many things, not least of which is sweetness.

    I am still writing at Noh Where (or I will be soon I hope). But I am also using Blogger for photography at: mydowntownblog here:

    http://mydowntownblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/inside.html

    Please come by and see me. Thanks, Liz

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  20. Mom, what a beautiful poem!! I think I'm a pretty down-to-earth guy. I very much love my creativity. I think we may all befriend our 'monsters'. Astonishing poetry!!

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  21. "Stardreaming with Sherry Blue Sky" has been included in our Sites To See #396. Be assured that we hope this helps to point many new visitors in your direction.

    http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2014/09/sites-to-see-396.html

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  22. A mother's heart is a fierce tenderness… so moving, this poem. I'm so glad you just visited him!

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