Whenever we lose track of our own obsessions,
our self-concerns, because we drift for a minute,
an hour even, of pure (almost pure)
response to that insouciant life:
cloud, bird, fox, the flow of light, the dancing
pilgrimage of water, vast stillness
of spellbound ephemerae on a lit windowpane,
animal voices, mineral hum, wind
conversing with rain, ocean with rock, stuttering
of fire to coal—then something tethered
in us…breaks free.
No one discovers
just where we’ve been, when we’re caught up again
into our own sphere (where we must
return, indeed, to evolve our destinies)
—but we have changed, a little.
~Denise Levertov, from “Sojourns in the Parallel World” in The Selected Poems of Denise Levertov
Notes: Poem from Make Believe Boutique; Photo by Coleman Guyon
each time, just a bit =
Yes. A wee bit.
This.
Yes.
Beautiful wisdom. Yes. It’s a subtle change with each choice. Each day makes a huge difference. Stay with it. 🙏🏻💚
The poem is lovely, and true. But what on earth is that photo?
She’s napping!
Who is?
The lady in the photo! She her in the top left?
Oh, now I do. But it seems rather gruesome and I don’t think it suits the poem!
Oh, no. Stand by!
Thanks for sharing this poem. Loved the phrase, “wind conversing with rain…”
Yes. Wonderful line. Thank you.
Stop. Listen, Observe. Be.
How can it not change you, even minutely?
and there is the point…
Indeed
And I like that no one discovers where I’ve been.
esp that…
Any poem that draws me in gets kudos from me. Any poem that gives me pause to review my own perspective, my own need to tweak my think just a bit gets a sincere hoorah. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
You are very welcome. Highest and Best!
Love this 💛