Optimismby Jane Hirshfield
More and more I have come to admire resilience.
Not the simple resistance of a pillow, whose foam returns over and
over to the same shape, but the sinuous tenacity of a tree: finding the
light newly blocked on one side,
it turns in another.
A blind intelligence, true.
But out of such persistence arose turtles, rivers, mitochondria, figs—
all this resinous, unretractable earth.
"Optimism" by Jane Hirshfield, from Given Sugar, Given Salt. © Harper Collins, 2002.
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I admire resilience as well. It is not the denial of the hardship but rather embracing the hardship, knowing it, feeling it, and turning towards the light despite all. "A blind intelligence", yes true, but of persistence comes all that we are and hope now to be.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put, thank you I enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete"But out of such persistence arose turtles, rivers, mitochondria, figs—
all this resinous, unretractable earth."
This is my favorite line.
If you told me there was a poem with the word mitochondria in it, I'd have been amazed, but it does work very well in this one.
ReplyDeleteI love words!
And this poem is good, too...lol
My favorite line is "finding the light newly blocked on one side, it turns in another." I love it when I find a poem that resonates to what I'm feeling.
ReplyDeleteWell put Bennett! "turning to the light despite all". Thanks.
Thank you Nym and Sharon too.
With each new day, finding a way to bask in the light of living no matter how blocked it may be from our own site, will renew the spirit and give breath to living once again.
ReplyDeleteI use to say that grief was something that just went away one day but in time I did learn to understand that it is a process of living and stepping forward even if those steps are small ones.
You are moving, you may not sense this your self but those who love you sense it, they see the light in your eyes again...keep moving forward.
I love you dearly and I am here for you, if you need me!
As me Mum used to dun us
ReplyDeletebut not until
too late since
we'd already grown away
Persistence
is a lot more important
than intelligence
It's one of the reasons
she thought the looks
went to the men in the family
and the women
got the IQ
:>)
You are good at finding the words that best describe the mood that you are in. Time travels fast and this is a good thing because it is time that heals.
ReplyDeleteYou are very brave to share your feelings with us.
I can't imagine what it must be like for you but your openness is very refreshing.
Thank you for that because it helps us with our daily lives.
Cheryl, I get what you're saying with your comment below about finding a poem that resonates with you so personally... when it's hard to put into words all of those things we're feeling - and we find a poem like this one, that hits you so personally... yeah... I feel ya
ReplyDeleteJen I sure hope that light you all are seeing in my eyes again, isn't another train! Thanks sweetie. I love you too.
ReplyDeleteTom I want to be smart and persistent.
Erika thank you.
YaYa I'll be seeing you soon!
There's a train in your eyes? I'm confused.
ReplyDeleteYeah, a train?? How come it could not be a spotlight? if we are gonna be confused, then how come it cant be a yacht? Oh a yacht is good maybe even a man on that yacht for Jen?
ReplyDeleteA man with a yacht (is that spelled right? It looks weird this a.m.) for Jen would be even better.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh this touches me so, Cheryl! Many blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it...if there is a yacht then Jen would have a man and we would have a nice way to travel on water...mind is always thinking here...lol
ReplyDeleteHow is my Scamper? I miss him!!! David and Nick left this morning, I feel like I spent so little time with David this trip but I will be home in two days...YEAH!!
Scamper is fine. He and Max are NOT enjoying each other's company again however. Scamper did let me give him his shot last night, but today it was 3:45 p.m. before he'd let me come near him with the needle.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jerene.
ReplyDeleteSo explain to me how this blog turned into a discussion of my (nonexistent) love life???
ReplyDeleteJust lucky happenstance?
ReplyDeleteYour welcome,Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteI was worried about those two not mingling well after being apart. Scamper and his shot...he is running from David now too so do not feel bad.
ReplyDeleteJen...um...we are always discussing your love life we just do it in code...you know code 7 well we have a secret code about finding you a man too..lol
We do? What's the code?
ReplyDeleteApparently the code is such a well-kept secret that even the people using the code do not know it!
ReplyDeleteCODE 3 - It's ice cream time!!!!
I want ice cream too!
ReplyDelete