Thursday, July 23, 2020

Lost: It is natural to retreat when things get tough.

Lost in a world
I no longer understand how to
Navigate.

It is natural to retreat when things get tough.


I don't know who
I am
Right Now.

It is natural to retreat when things get tough.

Where do I fit in?

The world doesn't want to let me
Be in the middle.

It is natural to retreat when things get tough.

Friends
Who fight
Who torment
Who never ask
How are you?
{and if they do,
they don't listen}

It is natural to retreat when things get tough.

A nation
Who fights
Who torments
Who never asks
How are you?
{and if they do,
they don't listen}

It is natural to retreat when things get tough.

My world exploding
and I don't understand
why we just can't
BE KIND.

It is natural to retreat when things get tough.


8 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem! I just watched the video Ruth linked and read Maya Angelou's poem and yours fits right in. The world is difficult to navigate. I know I have retreated from the physical world and rely more on virtual contacts. I wish "be kind" could be a mantra for all. It is for me.

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  2. This is lovely and heart-wrenching at the same time. How did you do that? How did you capture this tension in the world in a handful of words?

    Last night Andy shared the lament of the world not making sense and being ugly. From my pillow on the other side of the bed, I said, "I still think the world is beautiful." I thought I whispered it; I didn't expect him to hear my small mantra.

    He nudged my ankle with his toe and said, "You're right, Ruth. I almost forgot that it is still beautiful."

    I'm glad you wrote because your mantra to BE KIND makes the world more beautiful.

    xo,
    Ruth

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  3. So sad, true, and beautiful all at the same time. That repeated line throughout is so powerful to help give ourselves some grace, but it's all tied together by the "BE KIND." So very important.

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  4. This is such a difficult time that we are all experiencing. Thank you for your poem and insight. If only we could only.... We truly are blessed, but sometimes it's hard to see all those blessings when there is such negativity all around us.

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  5. This: "The world doesn't want to let me
    Be in the middle."

    Yes! That is exactly the struggle. Nobody is allowed to be in the middle or to be an eclectic mix of beliefs or to be fluid. Before you get out a full sentence people decide if they are for or against what you are going to say.

    You captured the angst of it all in such a peaceful, lyrical thread of words.

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  6. The repeating verse adds to the intensity you expressed that most of us are feeling right now. Powerful poetry helps us identify and cope. Thank you for your words today.

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  7. This is powerful! And reading the responses from others in this community make them even more beautfiul because they were heard - they were internalized - they made a difference. The world is beautiful, and sometimes we need to be reminded to look carefully. The noise can distract us. #MakeRoomForJoy

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  8. Great pome to portray the current situation in the world. Staying kind even when things don't make sense is a good approach. I am often puzzled too why can't everyone take the kind approach.

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