Hello Earth
Here I am, watching dusk descend. My friend has driven away on the winding road to Tunstable Falls. It’s well dark now by 5pm, so he didn’t linger, even though we live in different States and haven’t seen each other for months. Now, with lockdown slightly lifted, he could travel here (by car); we can meet. Tea and cake on opposite sides of the table. No hugs. (Any other time, I’d have said, ‘Come stay with me!')
Earth, he tells me he enjoys where he's staying, close to you, listening to the same birds he remembers from forty-odd years ago, their unique calls still filling the rainforest. Now he’s a much-travelled city-dweller, but being back with these trees and birds feels like home. (So I’m OK with not saying, ‘Come stay with me!’)
Leaning in, I listen to tales of other countries. I show him my journeyings in cyberspace. This year he cannot go to Europe or Africa or the Middle East. But he’s glad he got home in time after the last journey, before lockdown. This year I live more than ever online, all the poetry events now happening there. (And this year I don’t tell my friend, ‘Come stay with me!’)
Listing gratitudes: When all else fails, there’s poetry. My friend is a poet. He's a little sad; he wants to visit another poet friend in Queensland. That man is 86 and sounding frail. The border into Queensland is still closed. It probably won’t be open before he heads home. I’m grateful he got to spend an afternoon with me. I’m grateful I’m this side of the border. I’m grateful he came to visit and, for a few hours, could stay with me.
Offering these reflections, I feel they're little enough. But humans have a need, it seems, for personal interactions with each other. When all else fails, we’ll go through a screen. But it’s preferable to breathe the same air (no matter if dangerous) or smile across a room instead of across the miles. I step outside, listen to the birds, inhale the scent of the trees. Dear Earth, when all else fails, I stay with you. Please stay with me!
A 369-word 'slice of life' for Weekly Scribblings #24: When All Else Fails… at Poets and Storytellers United.
A 369-word 'slice of life' for Weekly Scribblings #24: When All Else Fails… at Poets and Storytellers United.
Poetry and friends do make everything a little better. The same goes for knowing the value of the Earth that feeds us and shelters us.
ReplyDeleteLovely Acrostic.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday
Much💖love
A wonderful glimpse into the human psyche, Rosemary!💝 I resonate with "When all else fails, there’s poetry." I too tend to delve into poetry (much more than usual) when facing despair. I also agree that we require personal interactions! Like Aristotle wisely stated; "Man is by nature a social animal."💝
ReplyDeleteAh, that was Aristotle? Thank you! Yes, so true.
DeleteYour beautifully composed prose gave me good goosebumps (do you call them that Down Under?) My 85-year old playwrite/poet/musician friend in Bateman's Bay is recovering from a second surgery for bowel cancer. The first surgery was botched by the surgeon. He did not remove the cancer, but removed healthy tissue. And months later of course the cancer had grown, rearing its ugly head. I would dearly love to say to him: Please come stay with me.
ReplyDeleteWe do say goosebumps. Confusing, isn't it? Lots of things we say the same, but some very different. (Some words Americans use freak us out because they sound so rude! But over there, they don't mean what they do here. LOL.) I do hope your friend does well after his second surgery.
DeleteOh dear....this has me emotionally all churned up with nostalgia. I used to visit Tuntable Creek for so many years. It's not far from the Channon. Been gone 12 years now...Glad your friend visited you...Now I'm off to have a good cry....Loved your acrostic.
ReplyDeleteThank you, glad you loved it. Hope the good cry was the healing kind!
DeleteI love the repeated refrain of "Come stay with me" because even if not together those people, places, and memories do stay with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori.
DeleteI really like how this piece just sings with all the love you have for the world and you friends. Although there seems to be a bit of sadness woven in because of all the things going on, the love still shines through so strongly.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rommy. It's true that, despite various circumstances at various times, I do consider myself richly blessed in my friendships and my surroundings.
DeleteA disaster like the Covid crisis does make us look at things differently from the times we thought wer were in control.
ReplyDeleteYes, we're so not! (Even as we still attempt to control the details.)
DeleteBeautiful🌹❣️🙏
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI totally agree with your concluding paragraph, Rosemary; there comes a point at which people need to see each other face-to-face, even if there is a risk. One has to weigh the risks vs. benefits.
ReplyDeleteYes, and I fear that will be ongoing for some time to come. All our old certainties have changed.
DeleteThis is gr eat, Rosemary. I am glad you have friends that can come visit you. Mostly we only are seeing our daughter, granddaughter, and the SIL. We never get tired of them, old folk get lonesome easily. I'm glad that you liked my Elevensies form writing. I am finding that the title has to work both at the top and also be useful for the bottom, and act as sort of a segue.
ReplyDelete..
Oh yes, I do agree about the way the elevensies titles need to work.
DeleteLuckily I haven't been too lonesome, as friends and family have been good about staying in touch with phone calls, texts and video chats.
I am so blessed to have poetry and friends. Yes, we reach out however we can these days.
ReplyDeleteCommunities such as Poets and Storytellers United are such a blessing, too.
DeleteThe first sentence is like a deep breath, preparing for a long autumn night after your friend has driven away. I’m glad you’re able to visit each other now, Rosemary, for a catch-up. And you’re both poets! The echo of ‘stay with me’ is tinged with sadness. Let’s hope we can stay with friends soon. In the meantime, nature stays with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim, for your sensitive reading. (Only it's long winter nights here, now.)
DeleteHow wonderful to have a poet friend. I'm glad you enjoyed his visit. I love your use of the refrain in this. Works so well.
ReplyDeleteI am lucky enough to have a number of poet friends — this one a really old friend by now. He lived overseas for many years, so there was a long gap when we didn’t see each other, and since his return to Australia we have lived in different States, so reunions are always special.
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