Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Life ...A Spiral Route Up and Down A Mountain Side














Capitola Beach, California
Photo by: Erica Foley

Life, to this traveler, is a twisting, turning, spiral route up and down a mountain side. In my thinking, travelers MUST travel in a spiral, with the ups and downs within that spiral. Sometimes the travel is by the hardest on foot with no staff or at times first class on the Silver Bullet!

These travels can create the feeling of being magically transported, flying, falling, crawling or of not moving.

Flying to the top of the mountain is breaktaking! Exhilarating! It can feel as if you have arrived at the ultimate! It will seem as if the world is yours! At times, it can feel as if you were magically transported!

All that is needed in this state is for the traveler to reach a bit and grab their personal lightening bolt that powers their life and the energy that goes with that!

When you are in a holding pattern it may feel as if there is no movement. It may actually be the incubation period of a new spiral path of your life. You are simply standing by ready to board the mountain train for the ride of your life.

Yet, at times it seems impossible to see even beyond the curve on the road more than a footstep! The fear is ...what can be on the other side. How can we trust what we cannot see?

When you enter these holding patterns you are making way for the new by giving up the old but often it feels like loss, pain , saddness. I find it may be difficult to experience change as gain!

It is hard to lay down the what have beens and the what might have beens because we cannot see around the bend. We must act on FAITH instead of FEAR with no guarantees.

Here is the result of a poem I workshopped with my friend and fellow poet Alex on this subject. I deeply respect Alex and his work and I enjoyed the process and the result. I wanted to share it in a post with this blogger community.

I love your thoughts, comments, reactions. It broadens my perspective and my horizons! I would enjoy hearing about any connections or specifics where you might identify with the topics or bits and pieces of it. I can also love hearing what you do not relate to or like about the poem? What are your thoughts and feelings?

HARD TO LAY DOWN

Sack cloth
Ashes and lemonade

Not what I thought
It would be

In the Golden Years
Yet here

It is
Struggling, walking, elusive

Too close for comfort
Clouding

Not without fear
The heart born

Dancing through Moulin Rouge
A misstep

Considering all
Wishing to be 15

Still in the middle of
The joy of everything is

Little comfort gained
From dreams of playmate

Soulmate sharing
You know the one

Mary Jane and sniffles
And off to adventure land

By the sheer will of it
Entering

By magic incantation
Exaulted in that perfect

Home comforted
Full of places visited

Order restored to whatever
That time when

Summer seemed
And winter just a blip on

All things lie ahead of us still
Lost in what might have been

Too many could haves
Like oil and water

Even while rewriting this
Tarnished troubadours

Sack cloth
Ashes and limonade

Are hard to lay down


Courtesy of Ghost Dansing

74 comments:

Gledwood said...

I was using the mountain image only today as I ranted on about NA at my place (Gledwood 2) so it feels most heartening/appropriate/type thing to hear someone else talking along the same lines

ps I know you don't know me I dropped in via Queenee's and hey aren't YOU the popular one ~ I've never seen a blog with over 100 followers before...(!!)

Natalie said...

Loved the post and the poem, Linda.

I was right there all the way. Felt quite sad too at the end. Moving for sure.

Good job! xx

Anonymous said...

This was a fantastic entry, I have been reading it over and over! You have such awesome insight!

xo

ps: I moved my blog:

www.singingwithmyheart.com

Rikkij said...

Nice piece, Linda. The older I get, the more I travel back. and the memories only grow in focus.~Rick

Shoozles said...

So lovely and so true- enjoyed it very much the photos is inspiring and colorful right up my alley

Anonymous said...

Beautiful and thought provoking Linda... I have made peace with my life path and its twists and turns...

lately Ive felt almost at the top of the mountain, nearly able to see over the edge... and its a feeling of power, excitement and awe...great post and poem...x

Roan said...

I enjoyed reading the post, and the poem. Thought provoking.

Shadow said...

my kind of poem!

Catherine Vibert said...

Nice post Linda, really good thoughts. I giggled in your poem in regards to the soulmate, that isn't. It is really good to let go of that one. That allowed me the freedom to explore the depths of my creativity and my faith in something much deeper. Funny how that longing is still there, but the longing is a good thing, if turned inward. It's amazing what is inside of us, as you said, our personal lightening bolt. Love it!

Wait. What? said...

And I keep reminding myself that it is exactly those twist's and turns along the way that make my life so interesting, happy, painful but always allow me growth and change.

Wonderful post Linda!

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Yes, faith inspired actions are so much kinder than fear inspired actions, Linda. Thanks for the thoughtful post and poem.

LarryG said...

great rhythm - wonderful poem...
what insights did collaborating bring into this piece? just wondering.

Super poem

Linda S. Socha said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ezekiel Barzillai Smythe said...

I liked the poem. It makes me think about how much people get entrenched in their thoughts about the past. I'm guilty of that; I'm sure many people are. I have been trying to break away from focusing on regrets, and I do have many. However, for every regret at least there is insight into what might become in the future.

Ghost Dansing said...

poetry might always be the idiosyncratic idiosynchronic encryption of thoughts and words by the poet(s).....

i like how this poem comes across just like a stream of consciousness...... fragmented..... partial thoughts a kind of daydreaming reverie where the words are not held together by their grammar or syntax or anything.... but by an emotional flow from the poet.......

some thoughts and emotions remain encrypted.... pre-verbal

a summer that seemed a lifetime..... maybe something that lasted forever when it was lived, real, rich, unfolding..... now a memory.... a blip like the winter.... a fleeting moment in now.....

and the encryption..... the sack cloth..... unable to spell lemonade...... the idosyncratic key to which only the author can provide.... and sometimes it is a key that is lost, and remains in the pre-verbal emotion re-membering the fragments..... even for the poet writer...

i'm stealing the picture by the way...... that's my new vacation spot in cyberspace.

who can say where the road goes, where the day flows.......

LORENZO said...

Did Gatlinburg get you thinking about mountains? I recognize the Maryann and Sniffles reference from an earlier "conversation" we had together about traveling to another time and place. The days of our youth make for great writing. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

better to be a traveller than a tourist..... :)

Linda S. Socha said...

Thanks Glenwood!
Welcome! Glad to see you here. Please stop by anytime

Thanks Natalie for the nice and perceptive comments

Heather
Glad you liked the post. I appreciate your wonderful comments and your support of Psyche Connections. Thanks for the new address reminder!

Rikkij
Thanks for the astute comment. I feel that way!

Shoozles

Thanks! I appreciate your comments. I have a question. How did you come up with you user name?

A Jay
I am glad to hear that. You deserve the mountain top...!!
Thanks for stopping by. I love seeing you here.

Thanks BJ
I value your comment and your opinion. I am working on looking at my poetry in different ways and I appreciate connections and reactions.

Thank you Shadow! Always good to see you here.

Catvibe

That makes sense! I think the longing may be terminal!. Thanks for the lovely thoughtful comment.

Much thanks Cat.
Some times the twists are turns may be more than I like but I agree with you!

Much thanks Cynthia!
I am of course still working on
accessing the faith easier!

Larry
Much thanks. I am working at looking at my approach to writing poetry. I tend to write almost stream of consciousness so I am looking at and learning different approaches.

Alex is a tremendous help in simply looking at what I have created and helping me put it together ...sometimes with less words....sometimes with more punch and sometimes looking at recombining what I have done in a different way.

I can see it immediately in working with Alex...but then I have suspected Alex may write in his sleep~

Thanks for the wonderful comment and the question
LINDA

Laura said...

Just wanted you to know that I nominated you for the lemonade blogger award. You're the best.

TERI REES WANG said...

Yes, "transition" is the most awkward place to land. Forward march!

MoonWillow Art Studio said...

Hi Linda! I gave you an award on my Karny Life blog. Take a peek to pick it up!

Oh, & if you didn't see it, yes I do graphic design work for others. Let me know if you wanted to know about a banner.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Diane Vogel Ferri said...

A beautiful poem

Ghost Dansing said...

i thought that spelling lemonade two ways twice had some personal special meaning..... i would have left it that way just to keep everybody guessing :)

i think you should change it back...

moulin rouge

Linda S. Socha said...

Hey Dansing. I agree..but cannot remember how they were3 misspelled:>) Any ideas?
Hugs
Linda

Linda S. Socha said...

Thank you Laura and Karney....
I love itand appreciate it. THANKS
Linda

Linda S. Socha said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Linda S. Socha said...

Lorenzo..
Your fantastic memory is one of the things that contributes to your wonderful writing?? Yes you may be right on all counts!! I love your comments. Thanks for stopping by
Hugs
Linda

Ghost Dansing said...

limonade
लेमोनेड

The Sea Wind said...

"When you enter these holding patterns you are making way for the new by giving up the old but often it feels like loss, pain, sadness. I find it may be difficult to experience change as gain!"

Linda, I read this sentence a few times and can't help pondering on its inherent truth. Do all changes result in gains? What does it means to achieve gains in life? Can one place no expectation on all occurring changes. For this, I find letting go one of the hardest lesson in life.

Thanks for a thought provoking entry!

Christine

Ari said...

Wow, what a powerful entry. Very moving.

Welcome to blogland! I look forward to reading more.

Ari

Lyn said...

I loved this post. Sometimes we get too used to our own methods to heal our problems. I think that's why we get on the path of new "spirals", new friendships, books,ideas, etc.
The poem was like a painting. An expressionist painting.
Thank you.
Lyn

Cynthia said...

Linda, excellent prose-essay and
complimentary poem. Yes! faith
over fear. You are so wise.
Thank you, Linda, I needed this.

Linda S. Socha said...

Ghost
:>)
Linda

Anonymous said...

Lovely to meet you, Linda.You have a terrific site here. Poetry too, huh?

George said...

Very nice and insightful, Linda...

LORENZO said...

Your kind comments and messages are truly appreciated. Thanks for stopping by and reading. You are one of the "good guys" on the internet that makes all this worthwhile.

LL

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

My you are popular, thanks for visiting my blog, much appreciated.
I visited Calafornia last year and saw some awesome sights at Yosemite Natural Park to name but a few. It was a holiday I shall treasure.The people was friendly .
Your blog is excellent in every respect. Keep up the good work.

Yvonne.

steveroni said...

When I was young, I had only "today" on my mind--in my heart.

Now, many years removed from youth I have not only today's experiences in my mind and on my heart--but also those memories from long ago and far away. Ah! Thank You, God for allowing them to (sigh!) linger.

And thank you Linda Socha, for letting me see what I see.

Steve E.

Misty's Creations said...

Thank you for your thoughts on my dragons. I really enjoy making them and the people that have bought them have been happy with them but... sometimes I miss them!

sarah said...

I love your hook, sackcloth, ashes and lemonade, it made me think of something just around the edges tying it nicely to the theme.

Thank you for your kind comment on my Thoughts blog today, not embarrassing at all... very sweet actually.)

Happy day, hope you're enjoying the moutain view.)

Gerda Du Plessis-Snyman said...

Hi Lina - me again. Just wanted to say I I have been trying to become a follower of your blog for the past two weeks but my computer keeps telling me that it cant' load that page because there are errors on the page. I do not think the problem is with your page however - maybe something with my connection. But please be assured of the fatc that I do visit your blog! Have a nice day - o yes and what a lovely picture of capola beach! Makes me want to travel there!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post. What a fine way to start my day!

Danny said...

I went white water rafting in West Virginia last year and every road spirals up and down the mountains. Very few of the roads have guardrails. We were in a bus and I feared for my life.

Opaque said...

Loved it!!! A great post with so much insight!!!

Christina said...

i can identify with the bittersweetness of giving up the old to make room for the new. The future is so uncertain, sometimes it seems sad to move on from the place you know, even if it's not the happiest place. And the "new" will lose it's newness soon enough, and you don't know if it will be better or worse than where you are now. Uncertainty.

SaoirseDaily2 said...

Hi Linda, I guess I do blog about food too much. Not much happens here at the Spotted Moose, so it's something to fill in the blank spots. I wish I could write poetry as well as you and Lorenzo or political commentary as well as Lisa, Christina and Utah...but I just blog about normal life and ordinary things. Have a whimsical Wednesday.

Linda S. Socha said...

Hey Linda
I LOVED YOUR food comment! I had missed lunch ....not gotten to dinner yet and the banana for breakfast was long gone! Reading that lovely post was just what I needed ( I finally did make it to a cheese sandwich and Campbells tomatoe soup)
Thanks Sweets...You are obviously a great cook. Hugs
Linda

Anonymous said...

hello there, glad I inspired you - did you start cleaning out the closets? :)
I am currently living in a mess of boxes and suitcases...I hate moving...

Love this post and the picture. I am on a high at the moment so going to try enjoy it as long as it lasts...

Confessions of a Wandering Soul said...

What an aspiration for wandering souls like me! Thank You Linda :)

jewelrygirl said...

Wow, this is spooky. I just posted on my blog, "holding pattern". And this poem is it.....it is my holding pattern. Almost made me cry, but it is perfect.

Nice!

Misty's Creations said...

Linda I'd be happy to sell you one in stock or make one for you. Ask Michelle at Crow Haven Farm. She bought two and ordered two more. She can give you some feed back...let me know! I'm glad you like them!
Misty

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Congratulations on your award from Jesse. well deserved.

Yvonne

Roan said...

I've left you an award. Stop by to pick it up when you have time.

MATHILDE PRIMAVERA said...

Oh ! Jolie vidéo ! Vous avez décidément bon goût !
Sinon, je ne sais pas ce que j'ai trafiqué sur mon blog, j'avais disparu du votre en tant qu'abonnée fidèle !
J'ose espérer que vous aviez compris qu'il s'agissait d'une grossière erreur et rien d'autre !
Je vous embrasse.
Mathilde Primavera.

Laurney_liz said...

I just loved this post...especially the part that said how can we trust the things we cannot see. Thank you for the wonderful comparison. This touched me especially probably because I am in the midst of my travels right now. Thanks for your constant encouragement! My thoughts are with you today.

MATHILDE PRIMAVERA said...

Mon Dieu ! Je ne sais pas ce que j'ai trafiqué sur mon blog, mais j'avais disparu de vos abonnés fidèles ! Il m'est arrivé la même chose avec Rhon. J'espère que vous n'avez pas pris ça mal, mais vraiment comme une grossière erreur de ma part !

Cette vidéo comporte des images magnifiques !
Linda, vous avez décidément de bons gouts.
Je vous embrasse.
Mathilde Primavera.

Tess Kincaid said...

Hi! I think I have seen you around the bloggyhood! Maybe at Pink Cowboy's place. Nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by my blog. :)

Linda S. Socha said...

Paul
I am still thinking about your comment...and yes.... I think it is:>).Thank you for stopping by. Love seeing you here.

Sunflower...THANKS I hope we have that fixed now. Please let me know if we do not.

Christina!!
Welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Please keep me posted on our travel adventures....What a lovely life.More tomorrow!!

Selchie.
Thank you so much.
Love having you here..I am wondering...you know how we women are...When??

Terri

Yes Absolutely. Thank you for stopping by. Good to see you here.

Ezekiel...Thank you for the comment and the reflection. Yes I agree Your blog is looking great!

Lorenzo
You are absolutely the greatest...Please write for the duration!

I deeply appreciate you all. Thank you for making life an adventure in sharing
Linda

CathM said...

Linda. Thanks for visiting my blog (again) and joining up as a blogging comrade. I look forward to staying connected with your blog musings and writings.

NAVAL LANGA said...

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

Naval Langa
SHORT STORIES by NAVAL LANGA
PAINTINGS GALLERIES

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Gledwood said...

Hi many thanks for your message...
I was trying to place EXACTLY who you were.. dur! now I recall precisely

re that picture: we have multicoloured houses at our seashores too... interesting thing is the locals naturally go for pastel colours to blend in with the more "clement" English landscape...

talk3talk4 said...

Happy Valentine...Linda

best regards,

Robert Lau

Leilani Tresise said...

Linda I like.... I am not surprised.... we all seem to find each other. lol energy is sweet!!!

much2ponder said...

Very nice...I loved the poem and the video, been a crazy day, but this helped me to slow down and note the things that matter most. Thank you.

Cynthia said...

Not without fear the heart is born.
Your spiritual heart comes through
in everything you write Linda.

Deb said...

Hi Linda ~ I actually have been here a few times to read this poem. I can totally relate to it and it is food for thought. Your words have caused me to stop and reflect. Words written from the heart are the best...thank you for sharing these words with us.

Priya said...

Lovely poem and nice pictures.

MsTypo said...

Great post. I love the poem. :):)

Rainbow dreams said...

I have thought about those twists and turns too lately - it keeps life fun and interesting and challenging too...we have to go down as well as up at times! :) your posts are always so thoughtful, thank you, Katie

Chrisy said...

Yes i do think the longing is terminal...always enjoy ur insights and the poem in particular was a wonderful journey...

Sarah Hina said...

So hard to lay down...it feels like giving up on desire.

But replacing that longing with having is truly golden. I'm not there yet. Not by a long shot. But I love this poem. It feels like fragments that want to become something whole.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for dropping by my place and leaving a lovely comment. I will come back (I promise) and read you, when time more my own.

Christa said...

Hey Linda
thanks for stopping by my blog! :-)
you have a lovely blog too, I enjoyed reading your entries!
BTW, Enya's song "Only Tme" is one of my all time favourtes!
Kepp the good work up ;-)