From the Heart
And so the light is fading, the winters drawing near.
The summer sun is dimming, the days are not as clear.
I’m thankful for my summer, the joy along the way.
And now the winters drawing in, shorter are my days.
With winter comes warm fires, dying embers in the grate.
Like memories that fade away, even now when I’m awake.
But I’m thankful for the days we had, the joy along the way.
If only the summer sun would wait, for just a few more days.
I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky.
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white tails shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the sea’s again for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea gulls crying.
I must go down to the sea’s again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gulls way and the whales way, where the winds like a whetted knife.
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long tricks over.
~ John Masefield
This was my step fathers favourite poem, it was read by my nephew at his funeral. He had been in the Navy and told many tails of his travels. Before that he piped the ships out to sea as a piper. His father had spent a lifetime in the Merchant Navy and the sea was in his blood. After he died my son told me he felt he had gone back to sea, I agreed as that is where I see him.
There is something about the sea that draws me, I’m drawn in all seasons but I do love the power of the waves crashing against the shore. The sea takes no prisoners, we are at its mercy always and should respect its presence.
I hear the term ‘living on the edge’ is associated with those that are drawn to the sea and in some way connected with madness. If that’s the case I’m okay with it as I am ruled by the elements, the brightness and warmth of the sun, the influence of the moon and tides, the power of the sea and the beauty of nature.
I walk to the sea when I’m unsure of myself, confused or melancholy in a way. I let the wind blow through my hair and the salted wind whip at my face and it puts things back into perspective for me. I realise I am just a very small part of this huge universe and everything will work out as it should.
The powerful ship moved purposefully through the water. The ship travelled through a sort of canal with buildings on each side, crashing and breaking the boarders of the land, tall houses falling in its wake. It reached the sea and rose high before it charged towards the waves as if in battle. We were as much victims of the ship as the seas in which it sailed, caught in its depths and awaiting our fate. The ship crashed to the left and its passengers fell and crashed with it. I grabbed my yellow sailing jacket, I knew we were in for a rocky ride, I wanted to be prepared. The last thing I remember before I woke was that I could not tie my shoe laces in preparation for the journey ahead.
I sat up in bed and looked around, heart beating and catching my breath. I wrote it down, I wanted to remember for the morning for when I woke.
This morning I reached up to the shelf for my dream book before preparing coffee. I hadn’t needed to see my scribbled reminder, it was still very clear. Without looking I knew that rough seas couldn’t be good, that in my dream I was prepared or trying to prepare myself was something, but I felt it might indicate a long ride ahead. That the ship was big and strong gave me hope, because although it was throwing me all over the place it gave some protection.
The dream dictionary told me ships are an augury of profitable ventures, however a shipwreck portends to a situation where you will have to defend yourself. The dream book directed me to look up ocean, it said that in any dream the condition of the water and weather must be taken into account. The water and weather had been horrendous in my dream. Rough or stormy water is a warning that real courage will be needed to overcome your obstacles, just what I need at the present time!
I have one hope though as the book suggested an ocean voyage predicts a lucky escape from an irritating problem. I guess I must have got on the ship in the first place to have hung my yellow sailing jacket.
Any other interpretations out there much appreciated 😉
Treading of footsteps throughout my mind.
Of days gone past I should have been kind.
Rose petals falling, loving words never said.
Lone flowers unplanted, a void in my head.
Vacant spaces, channels not making sense.
Vast chasms of darkness, held in suspense.
Retracing my steps, I paint these halls bright.
With glorious blooms, I put my wrongs right.
I’m sort of mystified as to where my soul is at this very moment, is it in its entirety with me, or is a part of me or somewhere else completely.
I’m also bewildered as to why am I searching to find myself in a spiritual form, if I actually only exist for this moment in time here and now.
I’m baffled by feelings that I am an immense being, that I experience myself in dreams and wonder if I continue to exist somewhere outside of myself.
I’m bemused to how much time and effort goes into this journey, puzzled by my determination to understand the intricate maze of the universe.
I’m confused by the enormity of my search and perplexed because in all probability I won’t ever discover the answers here as the physical me.
I love to philosophise on the meaning of it all, the wonders of the universe and what IT is really all about. Have you got any nearer to the answers?
A butterfly flew in the door, I knew it was my mum.
A visit dancing through, with lots of love and fun.
It’s good to see her flying now, no longer in her chair.
I’m happy that she’s healthy, since stepping over there.
~
Sometimes she’s a feather, so very light and bright.
She floats on air and drops on me, not a bird in sight.
It’s usually to tell me, that I’m heading the right way.
It’s how she keeps in contact, since she went away.
~
In winter she’s a robin, with breast of brightest red.
She sits upon the woodpile, sings while I’m in bed.
She’ll always come to see me, I know that to be true.
Until one day, I step behind, that same doorway too.
~
I step onto the pathway, I check my footings sure
I’ve taken many turnings, as sure there will be more
Check to see I am grounded, I want to stay on track
I focus where I want to go, I can as easily turn back
I have to watch for pitfalls, my mind I must direct
To remember where I go, at the time that I reflect
My whole life is pathways, of one sort of a kind
The real and the emotional, so many of my mind
I’ll take another step today, to grow a little more
A pathway will present again, of that I can be sure.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
A sidewalk to me is unfamiliar, I don’t think I’ve ever really used the term even in short the time I spent living in the US and Canada. For todays prompt of I’m changing it to pathway and I hope you’ll forgive me, but pathway is more familiar and I’m not jumping off my pathway to walk the sidewalk 😉
We all have melodies that run throughout our lives. They remind us of who we are, where we’ve been, love, happiness and disappointments. I’m a collector of melodies, lover of music and lyrical words but I’ve no musical myself ability whatsoever.
Our recognition of music and tone starts before we are born, we listen from the womb. I was born into a musical, well, music loving family and I was sung to through my mothers stomach. My Dad, convinced I was a boy sung ‘My Boy Bill’ to me in his deep voice. I don’t think he was disappointed, well maybe a little but he had a boy eventually in his third marriage, my mum being his first wife. Dad used to get up and sing Al Jolson songs in pubs as did my grandad, dad now 78 still sings throughout the day.
I was named, as mentioned before here, after a Judy Garland song ‘Liza, Liza, Skies are Grey’ thus the title of my blog. I have mum’s Judy Garland scrap book, started when she was just a teenager, it’s very precious to me as she was her number one fan.
So many of my memories are connected with music. My Grandmother, swinging her skirt around her knees at parties after a few whiskies singing ‘Danny Boy’. My other Grandmother’s love of the Opera and the poster of Placido Domingo she had taped to her lounge door well into her late 80’s and the stories of her as a poverty struck young woman climbing up into the ‘gods’ to watch the opera.
When I asked my step father after my mother died what song reminded him of her he said ‘The First Time Ever I Saw your Face’ Ewan McColl’s version. When he died a month later we had a bagpiper play his coffin into church, just as he used to play the boats out of harbour as a young man. Music brings them back every time I play something that connects us and I play these melodies often.
I was an officiant at a funeral recently, it’s a long story how I got to do it so I won’t go into the in’s and outs and bore you, but they wanted someone who was spiritual but also a vegan which is a bit of an ask. I wasn’t a trained celebrant but I ticked the other boxes so I agreed to give it a go, no in all honesty, I wanted to do this young man proud. He had died at 28 of a heart attack, very sad but as I learnt about him from his family I heard what a love he had for life and he loved to sing. Would you believe he sang at his own funeral, well recordings of his voice for two numbers ‘ Poor Unfortunate Souls’ from the Little Mermaid and ‘Hakuna Matata’ from the Lion King. He was larger than life in personality and he sung these songs with every bit of his heart and soul. I have to tell you when these numbers played it was like he opened the chapel door and walked in through it.
That’s what music does, it takes you back, brings back and reconnects us to precious memories.
I love these hydrangeas, particularly the purple as colour speaks to me of love, spirituality and healing. Each little petal is an individual but connected to the main, a bit like the different aspects of our own human souls. Also how we interconnect with each other in groups. I learn so much about life from nature, it’s amazing when you really look and find the similarities.
I learnt that soil they are planted in dictates the richness of colour, a bit like environment does with us.
These come from my Dad’s garden in Normandy, so they also remind me of him. Each year I bring a bunch home to dry. I learnt the easiest way was for them to just sit in the vase once the water has dried up.
Those petals look so comfortable and soft for bugs to hide and sleep don’t you think 😊
These dry ones are not so soft but perfect for spiders 😉
If every person closed their eyes
and sent out love to the earth,
just think of what cold happen,
what could this be worth.
Wars would fall to pieces,
all weapons would be destroyed,
what an amazing strategy,
arranging love to be deployed.
It might only take moments,
for our thoughts to travel far,
imagine how love would scatter,
like exploding stars.
So when should we start this invasion,
is everybody in,
it wouldn’t be so hard to do,
using the love we have within.
lizalizaskysaregrey 