Saturday, August 12, 2017

Voyager Heart

Baby Leo and Graham
R.I.P.


Small puff-clouds
scoot across
the autumn sky
on the wings
of the morning.
I cross the road
to the rooster's
early cry.
From the sleepy forest
birds croak and caw,
the branches
stir and sigh.
The yard dogs bark
the new day in.
Horses whicker softly
over their apples and grain,
and the imperious marmalade cat
deigns a haughty nod
from his domain.

And I
am old enough
to be grateful for
such grace:
eyesight with which
to take this splendor in
the whole day long,
ears finely tuned
to hear
the planet's song,
legs that still carry me
though at a slower pace,
and that calm
voyager heart
that has
taken me
so far
while staying
in one place.


This poem is from 2010, when I was still living in my small trailer out Beaver Creek. I am sharing it in the Poetry Pantry at Poets United, where there is always fine reading on a Sunday morning.

27 comments:

  1. Ah, you do have that voyager heart, Sherry. What you have not been able to travel to personally, you found ways to travel to in alternate ways. There are many different kinds of journeys, and indeed we must be grateful for the one we are personally on!

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  2. A lovely poem. I like the form, the rhymes, the content ... and of course the accompanying photo of the handsome cat. :)

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  3. A lovely moment kept alive through the heart of a poet

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  4. I love the peace, contentment and grace coming from every word. Beautiful Sherry.

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  5. And fine reading this is too - I hear the gratitude and wonder.. I am glad you convey the beauty of everyday to us

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  6. such gentle vistas demand a prayer of gratitude..beautifully said.l

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  7. Wow, Sherry. One of my favourites, for sure.
    From the sleepy forest
    birds croak and caw,
    the branches
    stir and sigh......so descriptive.

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  8. this brings a wonderful peaceful feeling! well written as always :)

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  9. Sigh.. such beautiful sense of peace and tranquility flows through this poem, Sherry!❤️

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  10. What quiet contentment there is in this poem Sherry. How important it is to appreciate the world we are part of.

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  11. This is so balanced, full hearted poem, gratitude and fulfillment, open eyes to see and appreciate, just makes me happy to read. Peace.

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  12. A wonderful gathering of the sights and sounds of the near world. Each one of these particular images contributes in some way to the idea of the universal. And thank goodness we can still find our way to them and through them.

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  13. I do believe you hear the planet's song it speaks to you in profound way as you sing along.

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  14. An excellent poem full of imagery and meaning. Thank you for sharing.

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  15. legs that still carry me
    though at a slower pace

    Old age perhaps will make one a little appreciative of the surroundings

    Hank

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  16. Ah like a soft day these poem unfolds upon me....
    'And I
    am old enough
    to be grateful for
    such grace'

    Gratitude and grace are inseparable and necessary for our soulful happiness!

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  17. I love the pic and the poem is wonderfu!!!

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  18. Luv that wise contented ear
    "ears finely tuned
    to hear
    the planet's song,"

    Happy Sunday Sherry

    Much love...

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  19. "And I am old enough to be grateful for
    such grace"...It does indeed take older eyes to see this grace and beauty, whether old in body or in soul. I love the pic of the handsome ginger boy and the horse. Such friendship! This made me feel peaceful and happy today, reading this. Thank you.

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  20. I feel the grace in every word. Beautiful, Sherry.

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  21. I feel the same way, Sherry. Nature means more to me with every year that passes. Hope it's not too late for our planet.

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  22. So much for which to be grateful, most of all the ability to mentally travel far while staying in place. Ah, it's good to be a dreamer ... and good to appreciate that which is within our realm.

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  23. Lovely touches in this, that really lift the piece far from the somewhat ordinary 'slice of life' that a less regardful passersby might miss. 'branches
    stir and sigh' ...'imperious marmalade cat' ... 'the planet's song' ~ lovely melodious images and phrasing ~ and the close:

    'and that calm
    voyager heart
    that has
    taken me
    so far
    while staying
    in one place'

    so epically beautiful and moving, as to be the stuff of words that brings a tear.

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  24. To be able to appreciate what you have as a precious gift is a wonderful state of being.

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  25. I really like the idea of staying in one place, but voyaging far and wide through one's adventurous heart.

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