Do not mistake reticence for virtue, child –
My wish for you is not a safe life but one
Populated with burdens of your own choosing,
Unforeseen perhaps but developing naturally
Along the route you have taken into the wider world.
You’ll find their weight of diminishing importance
When measured against the poetry of
The road that stretches before you,
Its coquettish bends and slopes obscuring
The terrain that will meet your steps
In the many days to come.
Then, whether you find yourself overwintering
In many-roomed palace or sodden ditch, you will
Nonetheless rest easy, drunk if not on wine then with
The heady conviction that whatever you may lack,
At least the life that you have lived has been your own.
And when at last your path breaks upon the
Shoreline of some unspeakably vast ocean,
You will find yourself well-prepared to taste
The saline tang of the surf that will surely
Bear you breathless into a new adventure.
-~-~-~-~
And The Sunday Whirl (Prompt words: ditch, palace, virtue, bends, wish, steps, burden, poetry, diminishing, room, drunk, breaks)
Wow, beautifully whirled. Took my breath away. I love the last stanza and the image of the ocean and further shores and new adventures. Nicely done.
dang…great write…love the opening…My wish for you is not a safe life but one
Populated with burdens of your own choosing…truth in that…and the close as well…then being able to appreciate the tang…very well built piece…
and new faces and old are both welcome at dverse…smiles…good to see you
“Then, whether you find yourself overwintering
In many-roomed palace or sodden ditch”
love the wording of that line, and a powerful message too… enjoyed this
This is amazing. I love it.
Beautifully written . Looking forward to see what you do next week
Perfectly said of wishing someone a great and adventurous life! Feels like this ought to be in a card or something!
This a beautiful poem, and it is filled with truth. Excellent write!
Oh, my, YES. This:
“And when at last your path breaks upon the
Shoreline of some unspeakably vast ocean,
You will find yourself well-prepared to taste
The saline tang of the surf that will surely
Bear you breathless”
And I got all the way to the end without realizing it was a Wordle. Even though I wrote to the same words this week. Fantastic.
What an incredible wish…this feels to me like something that should be read at a graduation ceremony! Loved it.
brought Cavafy’s Ithaca to mind; beautiful thoughts.
Wow! The language is calm, almost lulling, but the meaning behind the soft words is as strong as an ocean swell. So, this is a list poem? If I hadn’t have seen the note, I never would have known. Too many people jam words in every which way, just to include them, and their poems stumble and bump. Yours does not.
You don’t know me, but sometimes it seems to me that my whole life has been about making my life my own, and so the last line of your penultimate stanza went right through me. You are really really a pleasure to read, lady.
I really like that overwintering! Sometimes I do that in the summer, and as the Great Prophet wrote “ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.”
And measuring poetry against a journey is really cool!
As to lack, the wise ones say there is only ever perception of that.
Nice to be here. Sometimes I click random links on dverse — glad I did for yours!
A true gift shared is a blessing upon all! I feel blessed. Thank you!
I’m one of jasminecalyx’s reader’s and came over from her shout out so you! And so glad I did. This is really breathtaking. So much wisdom in such unassuming words!
Wow, with a group of admirers like those listed above !! I am excited to get in line and tell you how much I enjoyed the passage between your outstanding opening and fantastic ending!! I’ll be following!! Really loved it !!