Back from vacation and once again here participating in dVerse. Poets check it out!
Now Whole
I swam home in the car in evening
To a peeper orchestra sounding
Through the swamp
Then fell asleep to the rush of ocean
Awoke to an artist’s pallet of sharp colors
An array of tangerine, fuchsia, and yellow
Peering through the blinds
Leaving the bedroom sauna hot
I watched ghost crabs scuttle through sand
forming a geometrical pattern of dashes
And considered all the days not noticed
Subsumed by money and pressure and cities
Of petty bickering, of snide remarks,
Of dishonesty, disloyalty and lies
Years wasted by neglect of mindful moments
Of needing to be right rather than kind
No more.
I’d give to you this, if I could
And I give to me this
Because now I think I can be
Even if alone
Whole.
Sascha Darlington
We should all be so wise. (Welcome back.)
Thank you, Maggie. Writing does make me feel great…maybe I shouldn’t take a vacation from it…just from home.
Sometimes you must be away from something to appreciate how much it means to you. 🙂
Ah, absence and heart. 🙂
I think one can be whole if alone. I liked this line: “Years wasted by neglect of mindful moments”. It is something I need to be careful of. Also, “needing to be right rather than kind” which would be another thing I need to be careful of.
Thanks, Frank. You are very correct and I should probably rewrite that because I *know* a person can be whole alone. The other two observations I am trying to, shall we say, mindfully, practice.
I like the end, it’s complete just as she is. If he loves her great, if not she’s learned to be okay on her own as a ‘whole.’
It takes some learning to get to the point of accepting to accept and enjoy the solitude…
Absolutely!❤️ Such a wonderfully uplifting poem 🙂
And I would answer, having read this, “YES!” This is where I want to stay as well. Taking note of life in all its variety and strangeness, one has the desire to disregard the clutter and stay in the uniqueness of one’s own self. You did a lovely job of explicating that in this poem. Thank you.
Yes, solitude is not to be confused with loneliness. Relationships would be stronger if first we learned to be whole before we became half of a pair! Good write!
I agree with you, Bev. It would have been nice when I was younger not to be seeking fulfillment in someone else rather than myself.
Thanks so much for reading!
Nicely put…
Sounds like a great vacation 🙂 If we find our identity in God, He makes us whole; then we reach out in kindness to other people.
Life is too short to waste moments. This line “of needing to be right rather than kind” really hit home. Arguing and proving ourselves to others can really suck the life out of us.
Yes! I agree, Mish. Thank you so much for reading!
Especially love this imagery:
“Awoke to an artist’s pallet of sharp colors
An array of tangerine, fuchsia, and yellow”
My guess is that sometimes it looks like this outside our windows but we are too busy rushing, getting dressed, getting lunches made etc. Always good to “stop and smell the roses” as the saying goes. And to savor solitude when it presents itself…or better yet, to seek it.
Thank you so much, Lillian. Sorry for the late reply!