Thursday, May 05, 2022
POEM: I LEFT MY HOUSE
I left my house and walked to the shore,
The white sand laced with seaweed,
And dotted with shells.
Hands in pockets and wind roaring in my ears,
I walked beside the talking water,
Rolling in and rolling out
Talking to me of faraway lands.
I was a boy and only knew of distant places
From books I had read, or from lessons
Taught at school.
Being a boy, all was jumbled up in my head
Treasure Island side by side with
Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Sants and sinners lived "out there"
Somewhere across that water,
And, despite the efforts of the nuns,
I liked the sinners better,
I thought.
Still do, sometimes.
Out in the bay a sometimes ship
Went by, going somewhere...out there,
and, on weekends, I could see
The white sails of pleasure craft as people enjoyed
A happy life I could only dream of.
Then, one day, I left my house.
I went out there
And met some sinners and some saints
And still like the sinners better,
Generally.
While I was gone
My father left this world,
My mother left the house,
And I lost track of who I was.
Then, one day I came back.
The house was there, but, not my house.
And, I realized with sadness,
I had left my house for the last time.
9/30/2016
Labels: aging, death, home, house, life, poem, poem by Donovan Baldwin, poetry
Friday, June 25, 2021
Come near and be my stranger,
Pretend we've never met before
In other lands and lives.
Let's be this moment's lovers
Free to fall in love as
Rapidly as we met, ignorant
Of past sins and obligations,
Content to spend this night,
In its condensed eternity before
Life and time move us
Apart once more.
Labels: eternity, life, love, lovers, poem, poetry
Friday, March 19, 2021
POEM: LIFE IS A POOL OF INK
Life is a pool of ink
Of many colors and
I, poet, dip my pen
Within and dripping
Raise it to the
Parchment upon
Which I will leave
My passions and
Desires, impressed
Wet upon the page
To dry into an
Eternal image that
Perhaps someone
Will save, and,
Too much to hope,
Share.
-----
Copyright March 2021 by Donovan Baldwin
Labels: desires, donovan baldwin, life, parchment, passions, poem, poet, poetry
Monday, August 12, 2019
POEM: POET, SHORE WALKER
By Donovan Baldwin
I, poet, shore walker,
Beachcomber, seeker of shells,
In their iridescent nacre,
Wind listener, hearing tales,
Translating the ciphers of zephyrs,
Whispers from another world,
Told to me in trust,
To be passed on to you,
So we may share,
Many daring adventures, and,
Other thrills of life.
- Donovan Baldwin
#poem #poetry
Beachcomber, seeker of shells,
In their iridescent nacre,
Wind listener, hearing tales,
Translating the ciphers of zephyrs,
Whispers from another world,
Told to me in trust,
To be passed on to you,
So we may share,
Many daring adventures, and,
Other thrills of life.
- Donovan Baldwin
#poem #poetry
Labels: beachcomber, life, nacre, poem, poetry, shells
Friday, October 26, 2018
Morning Walk Begun In Darkness
By Donovan Baldwin
Morning walk begun in darkness. Even the sun's not awake.
Rabbits scurry away barely seen in the gray half light.
Slowly, light begins to dawn, hence the word, or vice versa, first to the east, gradually lightening the whole sky. Some reds, yellows, blues.
Shadowy things take shape and substance.
That's how life happens sometimes. Unsure of what we are seeing at first, until some sort of light, delineation, illuminates the scene, allowing us to make out details.
Despite claiming poethood, I don't like to get too mystical about these things. I've too many scars to balance myself entirely on sunrise and roses and rabbits in the dawn, but, I tend to forget they are there as I go about my daily obligations.
It's "nice", simple word, but useful, to reconnect with the momentarily unfamiliar familiar.
So many mornings of my life, I've watched the world's life renew itself, or, sadly, learned of someone or something NOT being renewed this day.
Cycle of life.
Sometimes we get in a rut and only see what we see, or think we see, day after day, and forget the other things.
That's one reason why I like morning walks.
I'm reminded that there's more to know about each day, than just the day-TO-day stuff we all deal with. I can start my day with news, or with rabbits scurrying away in the dewy grass as the sun begins to change the colors of the world from black and gray (grey for my Brit friends), to green and yellow and blue and red, and, waking up the sleepy birds, causes them to sing a sleepy good morning.
Just walking around in my mind, now that, with my help, of course, the sun's up.
Good morning.
Morning walk begun in darkness. Even the sun's not awake.
Rabbits scurry away barely seen in the gray half light.
Slowly, light begins to dawn, hence the word, or vice versa, first to the east, gradually lightening the whole sky. Some reds, yellows, blues.
Shadowy things take shape and substance.
That's how life happens sometimes. Unsure of what we are seeing at first, until some sort of light, delineation, illuminates the scene, allowing us to make out details.
Despite claiming poethood, I don't like to get too mystical about these things. I've too many scars to balance myself entirely on sunrise and roses and rabbits in the dawn, but, I tend to forget they are there as I go about my daily obligations.
It's "nice", simple word, but useful, to reconnect with the momentarily unfamiliar familiar.
So many mornings of my life, I've watched the world's life renew itself, or, sadly, learned of someone or something NOT being renewed this day.
Cycle of life.
Sometimes we get in a rut and only see what we see, or think we see, day after day, and forget the other things.
That's one reason why I like morning walks.
I'm reminded that there's more to know about each day, than just the day-TO-day stuff we all deal with. I can start my day with news, or with rabbits scurrying away in the dewy grass as the sun begins to change the colors of the world from black and gray (grey for my Brit friends), to green and yellow and blue and red, and, waking up the sleepy birds, causes them to sing a sleepy good morning.
Just walking around in my mind, now that, with my help, of course, the sun's up.
Good morning.
Labels: day, donovan baldwin, life, morning, morning walk, poet, sunrise, walk, walking
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Poem: The Path I Choose
By: Donovan Baldwin
Into the storm, which rages loud,
Into the darkest night,
Without much hope of victory,
Each of us must take the fight.
The greatest sin, or loss, my friend,
Is not to strive at all,
In life are many choices,
It's not where, but how we fall.
Fate often tells us where to be,
We cannot control life's line,
But, who I am, and how I live,
Are choices that are mine.
Born low or high, it matters not,
For the path is what I choose,
And if I walk a path that's right,
Then I can never lose.
Into the darkest night,
Without much hope of victory,
Each of us must take the fight.
The greatest sin, or loss, my friend,
Is not to strive at all,
In life are many choices,
It's not where, but how we fall.
Fate often tells us where to be,
We cannot control life's line,
But, who I am, and how I live,
Are choices that are mine.
Born low or high, it matters not,
For the path is what I choose,
And if I walk a path that's right,
Then I can never lose.
Labels: choice, donovan baldwin, fate, life, path i choose, poem, poetry
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
My Love/Hate Relationship With Great Thinkers
By Donovan Baldwin
It's a little ironic that I tend to categorize the following thoughts as "thinking out loud".
I have a love/hate relationship with "Great Thinkers". I think (can't get away from that word) that they are great (oops). I love to read their thoughts, and contemplate them with pleasure, or to grab an imaginary weapon and attack them.
Still, that's the point.
They think, thought, and passed those thoughts on to others, such as myself, stimulating more thought, perhaps to be passed on as well. Or, to tell the truth, to be played with, mangled, mutilated, and manipulated to fit my thoughts, my personal philosophy of life and self.
Not to say that MY thoughts will be wonderful, better or worse than theirs, yet, "thought" is one thing that makes us human.
"Thought", and great thinkers, do not generally feed us, fix our cars, or even aid in the birth of (or conception of) our babies. Yet, it is the presence of, and the presentation of, "thought" and "thinking", along with the arts that allows us to claim that we are a bit more than the animals, and, (maybe) better than plants... though less than angels (although there are a few who come close).
So, rambling on to an end, I read Great Thinkers, get mad, argue, agree, and live... with new thoughts I might not have discovered in my own head.
After all, I'm only human.
It's a little ironic that I tend to categorize the following thoughts as "thinking out loud".
I have a love/hate relationship with "Great Thinkers". I think (can't get away from that word) that they are great (oops). I love to read their thoughts, and contemplate them with pleasure, or to grab an imaginary weapon and attack them.
Still, that's the point.
They think, thought, and passed those thoughts on to others, such as myself, stimulating more thought, perhaps to be passed on as well. Or, to tell the truth, to be played with, mangled, mutilated, and manipulated to fit my thoughts, my personal philosophy of life and self.
Not to say that MY thoughts will be wonderful, better or worse than theirs, yet, "thought" is one thing that makes us human.
"Thought", and great thinkers, do not generally feed us, fix our cars, or even aid in the birth of (or conception of) our babies. Yet, it is the presence of, and the presentation of, "thought" and "thinking", along with the arts that allows us to claim that we are a bit more than the animals, and, (maybe) better than plants... though less than angels (although there are a few who come close).
So, rambling on to an end, I read Great Thinkers, get mad, argue, agree, and live... with new thoughts I might not have discovered in my own head.
After all, I'm only human.
Labels: donovan baldwin, great thinkers, life, philosophy, self, thinking out loud
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Life Changes Us
By Donovan Baldwin
Life changes us, especially if we have kids.
It was not unusual in the army to realize that a rough, tough sergeant had kids when he would slip and ask if anybody needed a "potty break".
My daughter and her husband have been the "aunt" and "uncle" for a while, but, are now, after years of trying, are having a baby.
Hooray them!
Fun.
Also fun for me, the people watcher, watching them change focus and suddenly mature to levels they had not thought about before.
Suddenly, the hobby room is going to be a baby's nursery, daddy's cholesterol is too high as he grows older, and mama has some changes to make...including all those cute clothes she's been buying from Amazon (Airing family laundry, here.)
Future daddy, now 35, has been collecting superhero action figures since age 8, and, has been the superhero of the nephews and nieces. He's got a few "Frozen" figures, and various princesses, and female superheroes, such as Wonder Woman, that the nieces love.
Now he's got to think about the time and money that goes into his collection, which will soon be spent on a son or daughter.
Collection may have to go.
Daddy's cholesterol is important cause he needs to take care of himself to be here for his wife and young heir or heiress. Mouths to be fed, lessons to be taught, milestones to be experienced.
Yep. Life changes us.
Life changes us, especially if we have kids.
It was not unusual in the army to realize that a rough, tough sergeant had kids when he would slip and ask if anybody needed a "potty break".
My daughter and her husband have been the "aunt" and "uncle" for a while, but, are now, after years of trying, are having a baby.
Hooray them!
Also fun for me, the people watcher, watching them change focus and suddenly mature to levels they had not thought about before.
Suddenly, the hobby room is going to be a baby's nursery, daddy's cholesterol is too high as he grows older, and mama has some changes to make...including all those cute clothes she's been buying from Amazon (Airing family laundry, here.)
Future daddy, now 35, has been collecting superhero action figures since age 8, and, has been the superhero of the nephews and nieces. He's got a few "Frozen" figures, and various princesses, and female superheroes, such as Wonder Woman, that the nieces love.
Now he's got to think about the time and money that goes into his collection, which will soon be spent on a son or daughter.
Collection may have to go.
Daddy's cholesterol is important cause he needs to take care of himself to be here for his wife and young heir or heiress. Mouths to be fed, lessons to be taught, milestones to be experienced.
Yep. Life changes us.
Labels: action figures, donovan baldwin, life, life changes, life lesson, superhero
Thursday, September 28, 2017
I'm Not In Jail And The Dog Still Likes Me
By: Donovan Baldwin
Don't know about you, but, while I like the occasional surprise, or small adventure, I really prefer my life to be calm, and on an even keel.
Doesn't always happen like that.
Take the last two days in MY life. The comedian Henny Youngman (1906-1998) was known as "King of the One Liners". One of his most famous lines would come in the middle of a routine, when, talking about something, he would say, as if to illustrate a point, "Take my wife...", pause, and then, "...please."
Well, the last two days, I was ready to use that line with the word "life", substituted for "wife".
I suppose I should not be concerned since everything worked out okay.
After all, I'm not in jail, the truck's in one piece, and the dog still likes me. But, I started those two days with everything penciled in neatly on a calendar.
Problem was, nothing happened according to plan on either day.
Somebody needed something, so, I had to change MY plans and go there and do that, then go somewhere else and do something else, and, in the process, two days of my life got spent doing stuff for other people.
Still, after the frustration is past, and, I've had a good night's sleep, I can at least pat myself on the back and say, "Good job!" Stuff that needed to be done got done.
It wasn't fun, but, it was real and was needed.
Don't know about you, but, while I like the occasional surprise, or small adventure, I really prefer my life to be calm, and on an even keel.
Doesn't always happen like that.
Take the last two days in MY life. The comedian Henny Youngman (1906-1998) was known as "King of the One Liners". One of his most famous lines would come in the middle of a routine, when, talking about something, he would say, as if to illustrate a point, "Take my wife...", pause, and then, "...please."
Well, the last two days, I was ready to use that line with the word "life", substituted for "wife".
I suppose I should not be concerned since everything worked out okay.
Problem was, nothing happened according to plan on either day.
Somebody needed something, so, I had to change MY plans and go there and do that, then go somewhere else and do something else, and, in the process, two days of my life got spent doing stuff for other people.
Still, after the frustration is past, and, I've had a good night's sleep, I can at least pat myself on the back and say, "Good job!" Stuff that needed to be done got done.
It wasn't fun, but, it was real and was needed.
Labels: donovan baldwin, Henny Youngman, life, life lesson, planning, plans
Monday, September 04, 2017
Where My Thoughts, And Life, Lead Me
By Donovan Baldwin
I like to "wing it" in these "morning musings", my first thoughts of the day.
I'm still waking up and, at my age, don't want to break anything, including brain cells.
So, when I start, I often have no idea where my thoughts and comments are going to take me. Even with planning; notes on the pad by my chair, or lingering thoughts from my last moments in bed, the actual pathway of thought and comment is generally as hidden to me as it is to you...until it's actually on the screen.
It's good that I can go back and edit. I can change words, structure, flow, content, and so on.
My musings are a bit like life. I know what's happened in the past, and maybe even a general idea of what's coming, but, the details are never positive until "down on paper", you might say.
Unfortunately, in life, unlike writing down musings, "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: Nor all thy piety nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."
Here, I can diddle around with my words, and thoughts, but, in life, we are stuck with what has been set down.
While there may be other "authors" writing parts of our story, we still have great power in our input. It behooves us to write the story of our life in a more planned and careful manner.
I'm still waking up and, at my age, don't want to break anything, including brain cells.
So, when I start, I often have no idea where my thoughts and comments are going to take me. Even with planning; notes on the pad by my chair, or lingering thoughts from my last moments in bed, the actual pathway of thought and comment is generally as hidden to me as it is to you...until it's actually on the screen.
It's good that I can go back and edit. I can change words, structure, flow, content, and so on.
My musings are a bit like life. I know what's happened in the past, and maybe even a general idea of what's coming, but, the details are never positive until "down on paper", you might say.
Unfortunately, in life, unlike writing down musings, "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: Nor all thy piety nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."
Here, I can diddle around with my words, and thoughts, but, in life, we are stuck with what has been set down.
While there may be other "authors" writing parts of our story, we still have great power in our input. It behooves us to write the story of our life in a more planned and careful manner.
Labels: donovan baldwin, life, life lesson, thinking, writing
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
It's Not Always Somebody Else's Problem
By Donovan Baldwin
I'm a writer, a poet, and let me tell you, friend, it's easy to be creative when you're lying in bed and don't actually DO anything, and the brain's just wandering around, peeking into nooks and crannies.
Then, you get up, and, WHAM! There's life and the world staring you in the face, daring you to do something.
Yeah, life's mean like that.
We figure we're going in some direction, or, maybe just wandering around, looking at stuff and having a pleasant time, and WHAM! Life hits us in the face with something.
Could be good.
Could be bad.
Could be, if we're lucky, somebody else's problem.
But, maybe, sometimes, somebody else's problem is still our problem. Depends on how far we take this "family of man" idea.
I take it pretty far.
Somebody in Dubai or Antarctica gets a problem, I worry about them.
Really!
Maybe that's why we read news. Maybe it's NOT because we're just nosey and want to know other people's business and mishaps. Maybe it's because we care.
Nah!
I'm gonna go with nosey.
But, you know what?
I believe that caring is something you can learn. You walk around worrying about yourself all the time. Why not spare some of that for your neighbor?
No conclusions here.
Haven't had my coffee yet, but some poor soul won't get any coffee today.
I'm NOT sad, just concerned...musing in the morning about stuff.
Then, you get up, and, WHAM! There's life and the world staring you in the face, daring you to do something.
Yeah, life's mean like that.
We figure we're going in some direction, or, maybe just wandering around, looking at stuff and having a pleasant time, and WHAM! Life hits us in the face with something.
Could be good.
Could be bad.
Could be, if we're lucky, somebody else's problem.
But, maybe, sometimes, somebody else's problem is still our problem. Depends on how far we take this "family of man" idea.
I take it pretty far.
Somebody in Dubai or Antarctica gets a problem, I worry about them.
Really!
Maybe that's why we read news. Maybe it's NOT because we're just nosey and want to know other people's business and mishaps. Maybe it's because we care.
Nah!
I'm gonna go with nosey.
But, you know what?
I believe that caring is something you can learn. You walk around worrying about yourself all the time. Why not spare some of that for your neighbor?
No conclusions here.
Haven't had my coffee yet, but some poor soul won't get any coffee today.
I'm NOT sad, just concerned...musing in the morning about stuff.
Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, creative, creativity, donovan baldwin, life, life lessons, poet, writing
Friday, July 14, 2017
My Problems
By Donovan Baldwin
I have problems.
Of course, don't we all?
One of my problems is that I don't have much of a middle ground. Unfortunately, I DO have a middle, but, that's not what I'm talking about.
I was raised pretty much in a "middle of the road" world. Unfortunately, when I went out into the grownup world, there were a lot of ups and downs. Lefts and rights. Many seesaw swings. Not only did I not know how to handle or react to them, but, I got yanked along for a wild ride in a couple of instances. In those cases, I lost my footing, and my equilibrium.
Now, when life swings underneath me, or before me, I get disoriented. I guess, to continue the metaphor, I run to the farthest limits of the landscape, but, in the other direction of whatever the problem is...or I THINK it is.
That's another problem. I see things simply, and life has taught me, or I learned, whatever life was TRYING to teach me, that most people complicate things. As a result, I get confused, and, in an attempt to understand what others might be seeing, I add layers of complication to situations which should be pretty simple.
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I have problems.
Of course, don't we all?
One of my problems is that I don't have much of a middle ground. Unfortunately, I DO have a middle, but, that's not what I'm talking about.
I was raised pretty much in a "middle of the road" world. Unfortunately, when I went out into the grownup world, there were a lot of ups and downs. Lefts and rights. Many seesaw swings. Not only did I not know how to handle or react to them, but, I got yanked along for a wild ride in a couple of instances. In those cases, I lost my footing, and my equilibrium.
Now, when life swings underneath me, or before me, I get disoriented. I guess, to continue the metaphor, I run to the farthest limits of the landscape, but, in the other direction of whatever the problem is...or I THINK it is.
That's another problem. I see things simply, and life has taught me, or I learned, whatever life was TRYING to teach me, that most people complicate things. As a result, I get confused, and, in an attempt to understand what others might be seeing, I add layers of complication to situations which should be pretty simple.
Follow Donovan Baldwin on Twitter
Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, donovan baldwin, life, problems
Sunday, July 09, 2017
My Simple Rules For Life
By Donovan Baldwin
I like to lead a simple life.
I enjoy nature, classical art, including Greek sculpture, classical & country western music, and reading...all kinds of stuff: Sci-Fi, Mysteries, Non-Fiction. Pretty eclectic.
I don't have a lot of rules of life, at least not a lot of ones I actually try to live by. I do try to follow the laws and customs of the country or land where I find myself.
Most of the rules I DO try to live by are pretty simple.
Don't hurt people.
Help people.
Keep your word.
Honor your promises.
Respect the beliefs of others.
Simple stuff, with, yes, room for modification if reality requires me to do so.
I respect the beliefs of others, but, I kind of hope they respect mine. One of these is, "My house, my rules." I won't get angry if you don't like the way I do things in my house, but, I will if you give me a hard time about it...in my house. You're free to say whatever you want...in your house. We're both free to either try to work it out, or go home.
If I offend, and you're not sure if I intended to, then that's proof I did NOT intend to offend, mislead, or hurt. If I do intend to offend, you will know because, it will probably be private, unless you make it public, and I will make sure you understand.
"Mislead" or "hurt"? Yeah, those are probably going to be accidental. I try to be honest about who and what I am, and, if something pops up that bothers you, it just wasn't covered yet. I would have told you if you had asked.
I enjoy nature, classical art, including Greek sculpture, classical & country western music, and reading...all kinds of stuff: Sci-Fi, Mysteries, Non-Fiction. Pretty eclectic.
I don't have a lot of rules of life, at least not a lot of ones I actually try to live by. I do try to follow the laws and customs of the country or land where I find myself.
Most of the rules I DO try to live by are pretty simple.
Don't hurt people.
Help people.
Keep your word.
Honor your promises.
Respect the beliefs of others.
Simple stuff, with, yes, room for modification if reality requires me to do so.
I respect the beliefs of others, but, I kind of hope they respect mine. One of these is, "My house, my rules." I won't get angry if you don't like the way I do things in my house, but, I will if you give me a hard time about it...in my house. You're free to say whatever you want...in your house. We're both free to either try to work it out, or go home.
If I offend, and you're not sure if I intended to, then that's proof I did NOT intend to offend, mislead, or hurt. If I do intend to offend, you will know because, it will probably be private, unless you make it public, and I will make sure you understand.
"Mislead" or "hurt"? Yeah, those are probably going to be accidental. I try to be honest about who and what I am, and, if something pops up that bothers you, it just wasn't covered yet. I would have told you if you had asked.
Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, customs, donovan baldwin, life, rules of life
Thursday, June 01, 2017
My Mantras
By Donovan Baldwin
Thinking Out Loud: I have a few little mantras or aphorisms, or whatever, that I use to get myself back on track, when I find myself "wandering through the underbrush", so to speak.
One of these is, "I've got to be somewhere doing something, so, I might as well be here, doing this." Handy when I get caught in some little adventure or event that I did not plan for, do not wish to be a part of, but, cannot politely extricate myself from.
A similar idea I have heard in the past, is, "If you cannot do what you love, love what you do."
Actually, both of those got me through about 90% of life, and still prove useful today.
Life, my life, at any rate, has arranged itself so that much of what I do is for the needs of others.
Doing a job well can be its own reward.
My big choices come down to which socks to wear each day, and all mine are white, so, there you go. No matter how much or how little of each day we control, however, there are times that what we are doing is NOT what we really WANT or desire to be doing. Often, it's what NEEDS to be done, and the grownups (me and you) have to do it.
Well, if we have to be somewhere doing something, we might as well be doing what needs to be done.
We will probably feel better for having done our duty, met our obligation, than shirking it.
Thinking Out Loud: I have a few little mantras or aphorisms, or whatever, that I use to get myself back on track, when I find myself "wandering through the underbrush", so to speak.
One of these is, "I've got to be somewhere doing something, so, I might as well be here, doing this." Handy when I get caught in some little adventure or event that I did not plan for, do not wish to be a part of, but, cannot politely extricate myself from.
A similar idea I have heard in the past, is, "If you cannot do what you love, love what you do."
Actually, both of those got me through about 90% of life, and still prove useful today.
Life, my life, at any rate, has arranged itself so that much of what I do is for the needs of others.
Doing a job well can be its own reward.
My big choices come down to which socks to wear each day, and all mine are white, so, there you go. No matter how much or how little of each day we control, however, there are times that what we are doing is NOT what we really WANT or desire to be doing. Often, it's what NEEDS to be done, and the grownups (me and you) have to do it.
Well, if we have to be somewhere doing something, we might as well be doing what needs to be done.
We will probably feel better for having done our duty, met our obligation, than shirking it.
Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, donovan baldwin, how to get through life, life, mantras, mottos
Thursday, December 15, 2011
A Poem About the Sea
To The Sea Of My Hopes
By Miles D.C.
To the sea, to the sea.
Everything flows towards it.
Tears of joy or despair,
make their way eventually,
to the sea.
To sit by its side,
its unpredictable waters,
is to be acquainted once again
and know silence,
as it has been there for thousands of years.
The same silence that whispers
ever so loudly,
dreams and hopes,
if, by chance, you've sat long enough
to be as silent, as it is.
To sit by the ocean,
the ever perpetual sea,
is a privilege of the few
who can see beyond what just is,
and look into the depth
of their own despair
of how, life, as we know it,
follows a rhythm
unlike that of the perpetual sea.
And unlike its nature,
knowing how time will inevitably
one day run out,
to just sit by the sea,
is to know hope.
And with hope, come all love.
Hope floats
when everything else fails.
Hope comes knocking
when it has washed away,
all despair,
all pride,
all anger
at how changeable everything is.
Like the sea.
To the sea then, to the sea.
Everything flows to it.
All the love that I have
makes its way eventually,
to the sea.
Resting my eyes on the horizon,
gazing upon the bright reflection
of the sun on the water,
I turn my face to the it,
to taste and breathe it in,
that distinct ocean scent -
the same one that's seen
a thousand other
hopefuls like me.
Hoping to be set free,
hoping to let go,
hoping to find peace,
in the midst of its turbulent waters.
I plunge head on, unmindful
of the wave upon wave
crashing around me.
Mercilessly.
Uncaring, of how close
or how far, I am to the shore.
Because, I came, to be with the sea.
To offer up my doubts,
my fears,
my laughter,
my happiness,
to its embrace.
Cold yet comforting.
To the sea, to the sea.
Everything flows to the it.
All that we are,
finds its way eventually,
to the sea.
Human life ebb and flow
like the sea, and like the sea,
it carries away
everything... all the pain,
the sins, the regrets.
It washes away even shame.
Shame borne out of living
only half a life.
Ever moving yet ever present.
Ever changing and ever constant.
Ever silent and ever full of the sounds
of the earth.
We'll all find our way,
one day,
to the sea.
That, is my hope, for you and me. http://joybound.wordpress.com/
Article Source: To The Sea Of My Hopes
==================
Original Poetry by Donovan Baldwin
By Miles D.C.
To the sea, to the sea.
Everything flows towards it.
Tears of joy or despair,
make their way eventually,
to the sea.
To sit by its side,
its unpredictable waters,
is to be acquainted once again
and know silence,
as it has been there for thousands of years.
The same silence that whispers
ever so loudly,
dreams and hopes,
if, by chance, you've sat long enough
to be as silent, as it is.
To sit by the ocean,
the ever perpetual sea,
is a privilege of the few
who can see beyond what just is,
and look into the depth
of their own despair
of how, life, as we know it,
follows a rhythm
unlike that of the perpetual sea.
And unlike its nature,
knowing how time will inevitably
one day run out,
to just sit by the sea,
is to know hope.
And with hope, come all love.
Hope floats
when everything else fails.
Hope comes knocking
when it has washed away,
all despair,
all pride,
all anger
at how changeable everything is.
Like the sea.
To the sea then, to the sea.
Everything flows to it.
All the love that I have
makes its way eventually,
to the sea.
Resting my eyes on the horizon,
gazing upon the bright reflection
of the sun on the water,
I turn my face to the it,
to taste and breathe it in,
that distinct ocean scent -
the same one that's seen
a thousand other
hopefuls like me.
Hoping to be set free,
hoping to let go,
hoping to find peace,
in the midst of its turbulent waters.
I plunge head on, unmindful
of the wave upon wave
crashing around me.
Mercilessly.
Uncaring, of how close
or how far, I am to the shore.
Because, I came, to be with the sea.
To offer up my doubts,
my fears,
my laughter,
my happiness,
to its embrace.
Cold yet comforting.
To the sea, to the sea.
Everything flows to the it.
All that we are,
finds its way eventually,
to the sea.
Human life ebb and flow
like the sea, and like the sea,
it carries away
everything... all the pain,
the sins, the regrets.
It washes away even shame.
Shame borne out of living
only half a life.
Ever moving yet ever present.
Ever changing and ever constant.
Ever silent and ever full of the sounds
of the earth.
We'll all find our way,
one day,
to the sea.
That, is my hope, for you and me. http://joybound.wordpress.com/
Article Source: To The Sea Of My Hopes
==================
Original Poetry by Donovan Baldwin
Labels: changing, dreams, everything flows, fears, hopes, life, love, perpetual sea, present, sea, unpredictable sea
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Thanksgiving
By Donovan Baldwin
It's a little hard, sometimes, to see things to be thankful for.
There's a lot going on in my life that tends to take some of the edge off.
However, I have a home that hasn't been flooded. No suicide bombers are likely to interfere directly with my peace and tranquility. I know where my next meal is coming from and will sleep in a soft bed tonight. I am in excellent health, and, even though I am 60, come from a long line of long-lived people...most of whom also enjoyed excellent health. In fact, a great many of my aunts, uncles, etc., are still alive and doing fairly well. I am not rich, but have a regular income and it will continue for my remaining years.
I am also stuffed with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc. (we had Thanksgiving one day early because both daughters had to work on Thanksgiving day).
I guess I've got it pretty good after all. For those of you that are wondering, by the way, I will eventually get around to wrting about writing and poetry, and stuff like that.
It's a little hard, sometimes, to see things to be thankful for.
There's a lot going on in my life that tends to take some of the edge off.
However, I have a home that hasn't been flooded. No suicide bombers are likely to interfere directly with my peace and tranquility. I know where my next meal is coming from and will sleep in a soft bed tonight. I am in excellent health, and, even though I am 60, come from a long line of long-lived people...most of whom also enjoyed excellent health. In fact, a great many of my aunts, uncles, etc., are still alive and doing fairly well. I am not rich, but have a regular income and it will continue for my remaining years.
I am also stuffed with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc. (we had Thanksgiving one day early because both daughters had to work on Thanksgiving day).
I guess I've got it pretty good after all. For those of you that are wondering, by the way, I will eventually get around to wrting about writing and poetry, and stuff like that.
Labels: donovan baldwin, life, Thanksgiving
