The Things we Keep
What I find I keep is my memories, my dreams and sometimes things that I wish I could forget. ....I keep an old bird's nest that I found with a small feather resting in it.
What I find I keep is my memories, my dreams, and sometimes things that I wish I could lose and forget. I also keep a bit of fear, that I will not remember the events, people and experiences that I love and the courage I once had to stand for my principles (not rigid or unchangeable).
I keep an old bird’s nest that I found with a small feather resting in it. I keep little bits of paper and poetry. I keep songs that I sing quietly through the day to keep me company when I am sad or in need of courage or connection to joy. I keep crazy toys that are left from my children which I would buy for them each Christmas for their stockings and for my husband’s stocking, also. They were intentionally ironic and silly. We have several balls that used to light up or jingle when thrown. We have frisbees, small toy cars and a game with a cup on top of a handle with a wooden ball which I almost never get into the cup. My two boys mastered the game almost immediately.) I have a collection of books about writing, only a few of which I have read. I have dictionaries, many books on meditation, volumes of poetry.
I am always falling in love with poetry and will carry a particular book almost everywhere I go for months or years at a time. One of my favorites is a collection of Naruda’s odes, in both the original Spanish and in a brilliant translation. The book is made with fine binding and very good paper, and my favorite poem is Ode to a Violin. Naruda led a courageous life and he sometimes had to leave his country to stay alive and free. This poem explores the severity of isolation and removal from what is loved and what is beauty, and finds hope in the area of California, Mexico as he walks along a beach ….I will let you look for the poem yourself if you are interested because nothing I say to describe it will do it justice.
Some things that I would like to lose include resentment, cowardice, and agitation.
I keep my meditation, and am constantly renewing and learning more from the variety of practices available. I keep my favorite words for as long as they are lent to me, they are Truth, Beauty, Wisdom and perhaps either love or compassion.
rosieborn, lived, cried, appreciated, lost, found, lived, laughed, flew in my dreams,
taught others to fly in their dreams, became a telescope reflecting the stars,
dove to the depths of despair ,recovered and walked along the beach as the water escaped from the sea and erased my footprints.
I felt such yearning as I read your story, for the things you have kept. The cup and ball game! If you don’t know it already, you might enjoy the poetry of Janet Winters. And I was surprised, and pleased, at your turning the prompt around and thinking about what you would like to lose. (Resentment!) Amen to it all.
Thank you Susan. The story flowed naturally after reading one of the other writers, Degelman….that may be misspelled…his words reminded me of my own keeping and losing. Thank you for your Suggestion of Janet Winters, I will look her up.
I’d love to hear you read, Rosie. I read your first paragraph several times, taken by the easy rhythm of the words and the pairing of mysteries, dreams, memories, fears. Falling in love with poetry, ‘removal from what is love, what is beauty. And thanks for the Neruda poem. I’m looking it up as I sign off.
Write on, Rosie!
Charles, thank you for your kind words. Maybe someday we will all meet and read our favorite stories to each other. I am always grateful when someone enjoys my work.