The Lighter Side of JzB

Here you will find photos, poetry, and possibly some light-hearted foolishness. For the Heavier Side
of JzB
see my other blog,
Retirement Blues. (There be dragons!)

I claim copyright and reserve all rights for my original material of every type and genre.


Every day visits*
From Moose, Goose, and Orb Weaver
All seized by Haiku


"Why moose and goose?" you may ask. Back on 2/04/13 Pirate wrote a haiku with an elk in it, and I responded with
one with a moose and then included him every day. A few days later in comments Mystic asked "Where's the goose?"
So I started including her with this post on 2/07. A week later on the 14th, Mark Readfern
asked for and received a spider. The rest is history.

*Well, most days, anyway. Grant me a bit of poetic license.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #26,

In this episode, Jen of Blog It Or Lose It tells us -

Rather than elaborate upon the poem, I’d like to know what the poem means to *you*.  

Can you envision the stars, the brown grass at the trees' feet, the liberation of being "leafless"? 

What thoughts come to mind when *you* read the poem? 

                    LEAVES
           By Sarah Teasdale

ONE by one, like leaves from a tree,
All my faiths have forsaken me;
But the stars above my head
Burn in white and delicate red,
And beneath my feet the earth
Brings the sturdy grass to birth.
I who was content to be
But a silken-singing tree,
But a rustle of delight
In the wistful heart of night,
I have lost the leaves that knew
Touch of rain and weight of dew.
Blinded by a leafy crown
I looked neither up nor down -
But the little leaves that die
Have left me room to see the sky;
Now for the first time I know
Stars above and earth below.
 


 ~~::~~

Instead of literal stars and grass, what I see in this poem is someone coming to an epiphany - shedding ideas and concepts that are comfortable, sheltering and familiar, but blind one to the actual realities of life.

This could be getting over a love-is-blind fascination and seeing the object of one's affection as a real person with perhaps some stellar attributes, but also feet of clay.  Or it could be the death of love.

It could be the escape from a religious cult.

It could be zen enlightenment.

It could be loosing the blinders of hide-bound political ideology to see the consequences of bad policy.

In any event, what this poem means to me is coming to a new realization about some aspect of life in the real world that results from shedding whatever was binding and blinding one.


in that stark moment
of pain loss and confusion
suddenly I saw 

Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #26

 

8 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, that's what it often takes for us to see: pain, loss, confusion. And how we wish it weren't so!

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  2. Wonderful interpretation. Thanks for sharing your thought process. I love all the possibilities. Well done :)

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  3. An absolutely wonderful response, JzB. "Epiphany" is exactly how I read the poem too. Your response haiku is just beautiful -- the way you have expressed it is exquisite. [bowing]

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  4. An extraordinary great response JzB ... it's the same idea I had as I read the poem ... it's very Zen and gives words (and images) to an "AHA-Erlebnis"

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  5. Without stark moments no seeing?

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    Replies
    1. Some things are easy to see.

      The difficult ones might require a poem.

      Cheers!
      JzB

      Delete
  6. Wow.

    Thanks, everyone.

    I am humbled.

    Cheers!
    JzB

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  7. Nothing is better when a thought process is shared.. yes then it becomes perfect

    ReplyDelete

This is a fun blog. Light-hearted banter is welcome. Snark is not. If you want to fight, find my other blog.

Play nice, and we'll all have fun.

I like to return visit, when I can - but I need to find you. If you have multiple blogs, please leave a direct link to the appropriate post.

Cheers!
JzB