How easy it is to reveal our best
in writing; reflective, unlike life
which requires reflexive, interactive,
unpredictable; like it or not the mirror
is held up and there we are refracted,
simply human, the same myriad collection
of jukebox tunes flipped out and panned
in turn on impulse perhaps, able to
be present to the situation or not, with
or without guile depending, personalities
the stanchions we prop ourselves up on,
unfurled in part or fully fledged;
Merely to be is to remain surprised,
for instinct requires nothing less nor more,
existing unpretentiously as the dance we cut
in on just as the rhythm changes, slow and blue
to whiplash fast, sparks arcing off heels,
forget dusting off the old, the new sweeps us
up and up into unchartered territory,
realms felt to be inhabited only by the gods
and yet here we clearly stand, two feet planted
on this earth, gobsmacked into wonder
once again.
Phiip Pullman is on BBC Radio 4 this week. As in “In these personal, entertaining and deeply thoughtful essays, Philip Pullman examines the art of storytelling.
Written over a period of 30 years, they reflect on a wide range of topics including the origins of his own stories, the practice of writing and the storytellers who have most inspired him.
In today’s essay, Philip remembers the impact of reading Milton’s Paradise Lost aloud for the first time at school, and how the memory of that moment influenced His Dark Materials.”
You have to listen to today’s episode about poetry! Here’s the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b099ydd8
Will do, Paul – familiar with Pullman’s work. Won’t get to it for awhile though – am at a week-long art course 1-1/2 hrs. from home and commuting every day. Thanks for the link! <3
“….the dance we cut in on just as the rhythm changes…”
That’s my favorite line, Bela, in this wonderful poem. Life lived in the present moment, fully engaged and daring – without presumptions and affectations. I love this dynamic poem! ❣️💕
So glad. And mahalo as always for your kind words, Betty 💗
Wow! What a wild dance of unusual albeit semi-pretentious verbiage! It absolutely sings with profound reflections. I always love your writing, but you’ve outdone yourself with this one. I’m so gobsmacked into wonder I’m speechless!
I was feeling a little tired, but now I feel like getting back out onto the dancefloor of the world and dancing upon it once again! Thank you beautiful Bela, the Bard of Bright Ideas!
Haha, thanks for amusing me this early morning, James 😉 Have a lovely day!
Nice, Bela 🙂 It has life lessons that tug at my heartstrings. The lesson to believe in “surprises” – and how we must retreat to a world of wonder where everything looks magical – like how it is for a child. In this day and age of advanced technology, surprises – that we usually get from friends and family – have such short term value unlike in the years past when surprises defined somebody’s life chapter, worth retaining. Our conditioned instinct has malfunctioned, hasn’t it, and we age at a very young age, knocking out the pleas of wisdom.
Aloha Mahesh, and you are wise – we become so inured to genuine surprise, are we even preferring the quickie gift or ‘like’ over the more thoughtful just so we don’t feel obligated to reciprocate, in kind? Life being so busy and all? In any case, we sacrifice wonder, and what is lost in the fray is an attunement to subtlety and preciousness in simple gestures, incubating richer qualities within, thus lending us an attunement to others whereby we are prompted to offer genuine delightful responses and surprises. But the potential for cultivation is ever there – we just need to remind ourselves about a billion times a day to pay attention! Thanks so much for your always-attentive comments <3
Gobsmacked in wonder. Wow. ❤️
🙂 Someone used that word on me some months ago and it stuck. Love that I discovered a use for it, myself! 🙂
Smiling. Big Word!
In = Into
Quite an enthralling read, this 👏
Ah! Bela!!
“Merely to be is to remain surprised”
This journey we are walking is full of the most incredibly beautiful lessons and it is up to us what we see, and how we see it, and ultimately…What we DO with it. And by that comment I include the times we DO NOTHING…
I hope you are well my friend <3
Aww, aloha Lorrie! Nice to see your face 🙂 And yes, the attunement to authentic and clear inner impulses that prompt us to either act from a genuine position or to do nothing, depending, is a wonder these days. But one can always begin again, as certain Buddhists are wont to remind us with the term beginners mind. I would rather say ‘beginners heart,’ for it is this that is most often injured, preventing one from centering one’s actions in an innately loving place. None of us avoids the damage life is sure to present, though character depends on learning from our own responses.
I am well, dear one – and off and running to a stained glass course this week. Be well! <3
I ❤ “Beginner’s Heart!”
Oh…stained glass…have fun, Bela. I really loves my time working with glass. Hope you will post your art!!
💜
Haha, Lorrie – perhaps not, but what I’m doing is looking good and I’ve got the technique down. Big learning curves – first time ever for me – so practice makes perfect. But it’s funfunfun for sure! 😀 xo
😁 I hope you show it! There is something mysterious about working in glass. There is always an element of danger (I drew blood more than once!) And it is the polar opposites of delicate and unforgiving…all at the same time!
Enjoy yourself, Bela 💜
😘
I love the word refract. Perfect.. And we humans are known for it.. As we change our direction more than than once.. what I love even more is when we are surprised.. There are many things to be gobsmacked with.. And I will never ever lose the Wonder this life brings.. <3
A thought provoking muse Bela.. <3
Not to lose wonder is to live as fully as we are able, don’t you think, dear Sue? Glad you enjoyed the poem. Love and hugs to you today, as I head off to do art for the day! I know you appreciate that! Aloha 🌴💙🌈
Oh Yes, and so pleased you are enjoying time for art Bela.. xxx <3 HUGS
😊😍🤗
fabulous imagery! and rings so true. (goes so well with The Fool card which i’ve just been pondering on; cool synch 🙂 )
Glad we are in sync, omceagain. Mahalo 🌋🌹🙏🏽
I wonder Bela, do your posts reflect what you are doing that particular day, or does what you intend to do reflect what you write about? 🙂 I’m being a bit cheeky here – forgive me! I couldn’t help but notice that your post is entitled “Refract” and scrolling through the comment thread, I see (and I quote): “…I am well, dear one – and off and running to a stained glass course this week. Be well! ”
If it was intentional – it was very clever! And if it wasn’t – how sublime?! :)) Love to you, dear Bela!
Marie, maybe it’s because I’m an air sign with fire on the ascendant and a fiery moon, but poetry just comes as it does. I don’t stop to say well, I’m going to my stained glass class, so here’s a poem on refraction. I know it would make sense, but I’m so right brained that words just flow how they do, regardless. Sometimes it appears intentional – and personal reflections always are to some degree, though in this case, I believe I wrote this poem a couple of weeks before my class. And oh, I do love cutting glass and assembling it into something lovely to look at and through! I look forward to the time when I can sit down (stand up!?!) and start to compose some serious panels for our house 😉 It’s an art I wish I’d learned many years ago, but it’s never too late! 😀 xoxo
I have probably got too much time on my hands, Bela picking up on synchronicities and coincidences on your posts! lol ❤ ❤ ❤
Not at all, Marie! I don’t think there are *not* coincidences and synchronicities therein – I just wasn’t aware of them at the time! Love xoxoxo
Well then, it’s just as well I’m here to point them out … hahahaha oxoxo
Exactly!<3 😉