The inner life.... only those who live it can understand this poem. I'm always surprised at those people who pay no attention to their inner life, inner thoughts, inner being.... it is so very strange to me
Every single line of this poem resonates profoundly with my experience of my life. However, in the wake of my recent recovery from Covid, the first stanza is especially meaningful for me. My physical symptoms were nowhere near as severe as the profound depression I was burdened with. I was laying in bed beyond hopeless, when I suddenly felt that I was fundamentally not a corporeal being. And should therefore surrender any semblance of my lifelong identity as 'filmmaker'. I emerged from my illness realizing that while my art practice helps me live in this world, my spiritual practice helps me 'die' (ie: manage my suffering) in this world. So I vowed to deepen my connection to spirit upon my recovery. Indeed, we are all on "...a journey of the spirit through the material world."
It's like he/ you reached into my living room and saw where I am at right now. Even the picture resonates.
This is what poetry is made for. We can see ourselves in someone else's poignant words and make sense of what we are feeling. Validation that we are not the only one on this journey of the soul.
"That is why there exist contemplative
souls who have lived more intensely,
more widely, more tumultuously
than others who have lived their
lives purely externally."
I would rather feel all of the journey intensely than live numb. It is a hell of a ride at times though.
"This is what poetry is made for. We can see ourselves in someone else's poignant words and make sense of what we are feeling."
Beautifully put. Even if the writer's style isn't something that I'm buying the content and how it's conveyed really puts things into perspective depending on what you're going through in life.
Thanks for commenting Daniel. It seems here we all have a similar experience of the poem. Seeing that reflection of one's own journey in others, as well as in the poem, is incredibly reassuring! 😊
I never get tired of these kinds of poems, heck I've written a few like these myself, I've read plenty of them that delve into the same subject matter and are tackled from completely different perspectives. Just goes to show there's never going to be truly enough said about one particular thing, even if everyone has already and will continue to write about it.
Without ever being hurt, we can never heal and it’s in the healing that we grow.
We are the poem. Love it.
The inner life.... only those who live it can understand this poem. I'm always surprised at those people who pay no attention to their inner life, inner thoughts, inner being.... it is so very strange to me
I think the inner life is always ready though, just around the corner of our cluttered thought, patiently available.
Every single line of this poem resonates profoundly with my experience of my life. However, in the wake of my recent recovery from Covid, the first stanza is especially meaningful for me. My physical symptoms were nowhere near as severe as the profound depression I was burdened with. I was laying in bed beyond hopeless, when I suddenly felt that I was fundamentally not a corporeal being. And should therefore surrender any semblance of my lifelong identity as 'filmmaker'. I emerged from my illness realizing that while my art practice helps me live in this world, my spiritual practice helps me 'die' (ie: manage my suffering) in this world. So I vowed to deepen my connection to spirit upon my recovery. Indeed, we are all on "...a journey of the spirit through the material world."
I have never heard of him before now. Thanks for the introduction.
My muscles are weary from efforts
I never even considered making...
He’s so worth reading.
It's like he/ you reached into my living room and saw where I am at right now. Even the picture resonates.
This is what poetry is made for. We can see ourselves in someone else's poignant words and make sense of what we are feeling. Validation that we are not the only one on this journey of the soul.
"That is why there exist contemplative
souls who have lived more intensely,
more widely, more tumultuously
than others who have lived their
lives purely externally."
I would rather feel all of the journey intensely than live numb. It is a hell of a ride at times though.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
"This is what poetry is made for. We can see ourselves in someone else's poignant words and make sense of what we are feeling."
Beautifully put. Even if the writer's style isn't something that I'm buying the content and how it's conveyed really puts things into perspective depending on what you're going through in life.
Thanks for commenting Daniel. It seems here we all have a similar experience of the poem. Seeing that reflection of one's own journey in others, as well as in the poem, is incredibly reassuring! 😊
Pessoa is my favourite
Favourite book of all time
This is so good.
We can’t heal if we don’t hurt, we can’t win if we don’t fight. The wounds are there for a reason, to be taken care of.
This first stanza..what an exceptional piece.
“I bear on my body the wounds/of all the battles I did not fight.”
I resonate with this because I feel that there are some battles worth fighting that I was too scared to wage.
Thank-you so much for sharing this. It charged me with positive energy to start the day.
I never get tired of these kinds of poems, heck I've written a few like these myself, I've read plenty of them that delve into the same subject matter and are tackled from completely different perspectives. Just goes to show there's never going to be truly enough said about one particular thing, even if everyone has already and will continue to write about it.
I’m baffled on how much this resonates with me - found me at the right time
One of my favourite poems by Pessoa.
It is beautiful, even if not in his original language. The feeling is not lost in translation. 💙