We leave the bay, I, looking back,
at the green green living island that I love:
rounded hills humped under wisps of cloud,
looking like misty Mountains of the Moon;
jellyfish bubbling eerily among raindrops in the bay,
eagle hunch-shouldered in the rain,
the wake behind the boat marking the distance
I am forced to travel, again and yet again,
away from the place where I the most belong,
my eyes loving each tree, each hill,
each bird along the way,
my heart singing its farewell-till-next-time song.
This is the landscape of my soul,
where my spirit dwells, but I no longer live.
In my life, what I most want to
for forever keep,
the Universe always asks me one thing: Give.
There and away, there and away I go,
taking with me every golden moment,
for I know
they have to last me till another day.
I gave my heart.
I gave my heart.
This is the price I pay.
I live in a grey little valley,
antechamber of Paradise,
as close as I can get
to where my spirit flies.
to where my spirit flies.
My heart, forever lifting through the pass
to my beloved beach,
yearns up and out the other side,
yearns up and out the other side,
beyond the mountain's reach.
In my heart, as nuts for a winter squirrel,
I store all there has been,
I store all there has been,
to bring out when the visits
grow fewer and far between:
a rounded hump of mountain,
misty cloud and fallen log,
an eagle soaring skywards,
a beloved big black dog.
My eyes follow the eagle
in his free and joyous flight;
my soul tramps endless beaches
my soul tramps endless beaches
in my dreams
night after night.
night after night.
I am forever driving away
from everything I love,
yet my lesson is to remember
all the blessings life's made of:
all the blessings life's made of:
I am forever driving towards
something I love as well:
that glorious sweep of waves rushing to shore,
how my heart comes home in the place
that opened my soul's door,
that home I spent my whole life
looking for.
My heart waited a lonely lifetime
for happiness to begin,
for wolf and sea
to find the waiting chambers of my heart
and move right in.
Now, rich in love,
it has much with which
to fill those empty rooms:
my ocean-spirit place,
the memory of a wolfish face,
my weary heart,
making its evolutionary journey,
past all my losses' tombs.
for Susan's Midweek Motif prompt at Poets United, which will post Wednesday morning, early: Mountain. Do join us for some wonderful responses.
So vivid... love "antechamber of paradise" and "losses' tombs"...
ReplyDeletei am taken humbly aback by the beauty expressed here yet the melancholy of the need to stretch the tether that links the heart and soul one place to another. the connection is always there but sometimes the physical distancing puts stress on the tether. it is the same with me, not so much of a physical place but of heartfelt memoried connections of those who my heart has touched and been touched by. wonderfully expressed in this piece of heartfelt writ, mi amiga
ReplyDeletegracias for sharing such loveliness
Speechless. You leave me speechless, within regret to find that driving away means you get to drive back again to the landscape. I will be back to say more when I can breathe again.
ReplyDeleteMy heart, forever lifting through the pass
ReplyDeleteto my beloved beach,
yearns up and out the other side,
beyond the mountain's reach.
Such a gorgeous write :D :D
Give. That IS the essence of living, isn't it?
ReplyDeletedriving away
ReplyDeletefrom everything I love...driving towards
something I love as well...It happens so often in our life.
Very profound indeed :)
you've taken us today to the beautiful landscape of your soul Sherry, so rich in love and beauty...
ReplyDeleteI like the perspective that we are always driving away from something we love, as well as driving toward something we love. That is the way of the world, it seems. A journey between things or places loved. Hopefully while enroute, one loves the journey too. And hopefully it will not be a lonely one..may there always be those who love along the way.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange that writing about loss and sadness comes so easy as we capture the past and bask in its beauty and love. How effective your writing is to spur the readers minds to their own memories.
ReplyDeleteThe journey drives us on the road ahead but, often we are looking in the rear view mirror to the place we were. One day I was driving my car and I saw the moon ahead of me and the sun rising behind me and they both are orbs of light. Much like life. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeletehow my heart comes home in the place
that opened my soul's door,
that home I spent my whole life
looking for.
To open that door will truly be amazing..for then there is peace and joy!
what a sweet and heartfelt homage to your surroundings, Sherry. I can see myself amongst nature there in your poem when I was a child in the islands. beautiful.
ReplyDelete...store all there has been,
ReplyDeleteto bring out when the visits
grow fewer and far between:
a rounded hump of mountain,
misty cloud and fallen log,
an eagle soaring skywards,
a beloved big black dog.
My eyes follow the eagle
in his free and joyous flight;
my soul tramps endless beaches
in my dreams
night after night."
Ohh...I love the images!Teasures them for later years and generations !!!😊Beautiful lines as always, sherry.
Driving away and driving to...some of us are not settled types.Gypsies.
ReplyDeleteLuv the looking back here, filled with nostalgia and passion price of loving. and the tapestry woven of nature's giving
ReplyDeleteMuch love...
There is undeniably sadness in this poem Sherry - and i wish more than anything that you could be where you belong..comfortable..peaceful with Pup..perhaps having given so much the universe will return..i suppose we can be at least thankful that we have these places to remember and keep in our souls and memories when times are tough xo
ReplyDeleteSo much sadness, so much love.
ReplyDeletewhere my spirit dwells, but I no longer live....yearns up and out the other side,
ReplyDeletebeyond the mountain's reach....
I can so very relate.
may be we need to build some tunnels and bridges to access that part, even if in our memory , dream, or conscioussness.
amazing expressions..classic flow of thought studded with imagery...poem par excellence
ReplyDeleteYes, yes and yes. I understand that yearning for the place where your soul resides. I long for the seashore when I am absent and the mountains know my song. The city has its distractions but nothing in comparison. Fantastic Sherry
ReplyDeleteThe universe asks us one thing; Give.
ReplyDeleteThat's what the mountains teach us too. To remain humble and keep giving back to the society without ever expecting back.
Loved it Sherry :)
Such an evocative phrase, "the mountains of the moon", Sherry... A topic that obviously inspired greatly. Well-penned.
ReplyDelete