Monday, October 1, 2018

Poems of the Week ~ by Gillena, Marja and Sara

Today, my friends, we offer you three poems of identity, written in different corners of the globe by Marja, who blogs at A Dutch Corner in New Zealand, Gillena, of Lunch Break, who lives in Trinidad-Tobago, and Sara, of  Purple Pen in Portland, who lives in New York. I note that each of them finds self and peacefulness in the landscape surrounding them. We think you will enjoy their observations.





WHO AM I?

When I think about myself
I think of a quiet observer,
blending in a flowerbed of daisies
At times I drag through life
pulled down by life's gravity
plagued by weltschmertz


In my earth bound dwelling
my shutters detach me often
from me, from my soul

this part of a timeless whole,
guided by whispers of the wind

protected by the wings it carries.

When the shutters open........

I feel the aliveness of crystal cold
water, oozing through my fingers

I feel fabulous as I float like
driftwood, with my cheek turned
to the sun, caressed with kisses.

I form a sacred bond with a friend
we pierce a hole in the night
to fill it with our wishes, our pain,
our pleasures, our dreams.
We peel the petals of our heart,
to unwrap the tender parts.


feel the strength of a mighty mountain,
the courage of 
a fantail flying among
eagles, the joy of a night sky
brimming with dazzling 
dreams
and the anticipation of a falling
star diving into new territories


I search for the secrets of the sage
I am inspired by a muse. I am in
wonder of the wisdom of the bell-bird
who doesn't retreat when it rains
but chirps and splashes in utter delight.

When I walk through my veils, 
my spotlight turned outwards
I am a soldier of peace and love
and I embrace life with a hug
I embrace life




Sherry: This is so lovely, Marja. I especially like the quiet observer, blending in a flowerbed of daisies, and your closing lines about embracing life. 

Marja: I did some soul searching when the following prompt was up at Poets United: "When I think about myself" and wrote Who am I. I feel I am one of the many daisies, only a sensitive one which gets bent down by the bad vibes in this world, like we all do, I think. 

I talk about my shutters being closed, which basically is because of the constant chatter in the mind which is not always positive. When you quiet down, I believe you have access to wisdom. Everyone has it, and nature is one of the best places to quiet down and to become alive. When you come to certain insights or have dreams, this comes to existence when poured into words and bounced off  a friend, which is another pleasure. 

Then you turn your attention outwards and pour as much love and peace into the world as you can. That's what I strive for.

Sherry: I agree. We need the positive now more than ever.

Thank you, Marja, for sharing your beautiful poem. Gillena has an answer to the question: who am I? Let's read.





ME

Laughter in gulps, tea in sips,
nature a coverlet, the finest counterpane,
introspection - guardian of silence,
armour of joy, window of smiles,
the adulting mind, the charming apron;
all these, cover a soul, who really is a child,
tender, frightened, tear-stained: me.





Sherry: I so love "laughter in gulps, tea in sips"! The idea of "nature a coverlet" is so lovely and comforting.  And I really like your acknowledgement that, under our adult veneers, still lives that small child of our yesterdays. 

Gillena: This one, Sherry, is really a poem of introspection. You know those moments when you take a good look at yourself, knowing that only you matter. [God in this case is default].  I suppose it's what the Rastafarians mean when they talk about "i and i".

Yet you question who is this person, this person that i am. What do i want, do i really need anything outside of natural sustenance? Should i really stretch my wants outside that frame of reference? And am I okay with being me?

Sherry: Deep questions, my friend. I suspect that when we know enough to ask them, we already know the answer. Thank you for the pause that allows us to ask ourselves the same questions.

Sara finds her peace in wilderness, and has written so beautifully about it.





Meanings of Wilderness



If wilderness is being wild
as an adult and not a child
I’ll show you stories I’ve compiled.
Not for the mild, not for the mild.
If wilderness is woods so dense
then being there would make me tense.
I do require openness
without suspense, without suspense.
If wilderness is peace, you see,
there’s no where else I’d like to be
then staring out across the sea.
Tranquility, tranquility.


Sara: In thinking about the word wilderness, I played with the concept of wilderness being a place, and/or state of mind. It can be quite different in meaning for a child or adult. 

If I contemplate wilderness as wild lands, such as forests, a sense of being smothered arises in me, whereas wilderness as a place of peace and tranquility is ocean and sand. If you have read my poetry before, my love of the ocean is well documented. 

Sherry: Mine, too, my friend. You know how much I resonate with this poem, Sara. The shore means tranquility to me, as well. Reading your lines gave me such a peaceful feeling.

Thank you so much, Gillena, Marja and Sara, for the clarity and beauty of these moments of self-expression.  It has been a beautiful pause in our fast-paced day.

Weren't these beautiful offerings, my friends? Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!


16 comments:

  1. This lovely post is a reminder of how poetry brings us together from our very different corners of the world, united in our dreams of peace and our celebration of natural beauty. Thank you all for a very happy start to my day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love that we meet in this forum, stretching hands and hearts across the globe, yet feeling so much closer. Yay, Poets United! A big thank you to our members, without whom we would not be here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PU is always there to keep us all connected. And Sherry a gem of a lady is there to make it happen! Today Sherry had rightly chosen the 3 outstanding ladies that Hank often connected with. Churn it out, ladies and thanks for the wonderful company

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you, Hank. I am so happy you enjoyed it. We will be hearing from you soon. Smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice being featured with Sara and Marja. Both of whom i visit and read. Today our poems share similarity of introspection the me in it all, though we find ourselves in different corners of the globe. Thanks to Poets United for its connecting forum. Thank you Sherry for drawing us out up close.

    Much love...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is my pleasure, Gillena. Thanks for taking part!

      Delete
  6. A wonderful choice of poems, here, and, once again, the backstory behind their creation is fascinating. I love the way the pieces, speak to the role of nature in the creative process. Marja's narrative articulated that beautifully for me:

    'I talk about my shutters being closed, which basically is because of the constant chatter in the mind which is not always positive. When you quiet down, I believe you have access to wisdom. Everyone has it, and nature is one of the best places to quiet down and to become alive.'

    Thank you all, for sharing your thoughts and reflections and for sharing and illuminating your awesome poetic pieces. And thank you, Sherry, for all that you do for our community of poets!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nature is our mirror as we reflect upon the larger questions! So great to read these contemplative lines- Gillena, Sara and Marja. Sherry, as always, you have such a way of bringing things together! Thanks all.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks Sherry an honour to be featured with two great poets and thanks for all your work. I love both poems Me and Meaning of Wilderness and recognise myself in it The silent introspection and for me wilderness is peace.

    ReplyDelete
  9. For me as well, Marja. Thanks for sharing your poem and thoughts with us.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you, Sherry, for bringing these three poets together in one place, something that Poets United does wonderfully well. As one who finds self and peacefulness in the landscape, I really enjoyed their poems, so different yet so connected.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wonderful feel good lines here coming from the depth of hearts. Love the idea of soldiers of peace; the inner child and tranquility hidden in wilderness. Thank you Sherry, Marja, Gillena and Sara.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful poetry by all three of the poets today, Sherry. Thank you for this feature.

    Marja, your poem made me feel GOOD. I like the idea of embracing life with a hug!!
    Gillena, I appreciated your introspection, which caused me to think about the adulting mind. Sara, I like all of the aspects of wilderness you brought out in your poem. All of these poems were a treat to read today!

    ReplyDelete
  13. These were so wonderful...thank you Gillena, Marja and Sara for your beautiful and thought-provoking words....and thank you Sherry for bringing them to us.....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely words indeed, this beautiful sunny fall day, with the first hint of cold in the wind, and the waves topped with foam. So much beauty everywhere!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you, Sherry, for this feature and the poems of these fine poets.
    Enjoyed reading the poems, and to understand the background of each poem.

    ReplyDelete

This community is not meant to be used in a negative manner. We ask that you be respectful of all the people on this site as each individual writer is entitled to their own opinion, style, and path to creativity.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Blog Archive

Followers