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Put down the weight of your aloneness
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While reading a book by one of my favorite authors (David Whyte), I found the following poem that struck a chord in my heartstrings. It spoke to me of opportunity, only if we let the universe do its thing. I intuit from it that the magic of chance can only work to those who are open. I invite you to read the poem with me, and tell me, dear, what you think.
Everything is Waiting for You
Your great mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone. As if life
were a progressive and cunning crime
with no witness to the tiny hidden
transgressions. To feel abandoned is to deny
the intimacy of your surroundings. Surely,
even you, at times, have felt the grand array;
the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowding
out your solo voice You must note
the way the soap dish enables you,
or the window latch grants you freedom.
Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
The stairs are your mentor of things
to come, the doors have always been there
to frighten you and invite you,
and the tiny speaker in the phone
is your dream-ladder to divinity.
Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into
the conversation. The kettle is singing
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last. All the birds
and creatures of the world are unutterably
themselves. Everything is waiting for you.
by David Whyte
from Everything is Waiting for You
©2003 Many Rivers Press
LikeNo related posts.
MIGS,
HAVE YOU NOT BEEN RECEIVING MY EMAILS? I HAVEN’T RECEIVED A REPLY FROM YOU. MAYBE YOU’RE JUST BUSY. ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU’LL HAVE TIME TO REPLY IF NOT SOON, MAY BE LATER…
TNX.
bloodberry at Jun 10, 09 at 6:59 pm
here’s how Whitman’s iota of idea of how to be happy:
” When I Heard at the Close of the Day
When I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv’d
with plaudits in the capitol, still it was not a happy night for
me that follow’d,
And else when I carous’d, or when my plans were accomplish’d, still
I was not happy,
But the day when I rose at dawn from the bed of perfect health,
refresh’d, singing, inhaling the ripe breath of autumn,
When I saw the full moon in the west grow pale and disappear in the
morning light,
When I wander’d alone over the beach, and undressing bathed,
laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise,
And when I thought how my dear friend my lover was on his way
coming, O then I was happy,
O then each breath tasted sweeter, and all that day my food
nourish’d me more, and the beautiful day pass’d well,
And the next came with equal joy, and with the next at evening came
my friend,
And that night while all was still I heard the waters roll slowly
continually up the shores,
I heard the hissing rustle of the liquid and sands as directed to me
whispering to congratulate me,
For the one I love most lay sleeping by me under the same cover in
the cool night,
In the stillness in the autumn moonbeams his face was inclined toward me,
And his arm lay lightly around my breast–and that night I was happy.
-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass”.
now, pray tell: how can one put down the weight of aloneness without the significant Other…
ram at Jun 10, 09 at 8:16 pm
i’ve read the book The Secret and on one point, it talks about Law of Attraction. If you think that you will be happy or you are in the state of happiness, the universe should conspire. In other words, you should see the positive things around you and you will be like a magnet of good things. if you feel alone and sad, it will surely attract bad things to you.
Leo at Jun 10, 09 at 9:55 pm
OMG! leo and I were just thinking of the same thing. I spent my whole day hanging around Fullybooked and well, Secret were one of those books which I “scanned”. ahihihi
ditto LEO
herbs at Jun 11, 09 at 1:23 am
that’s awesome herbs. i think one of the facets of gay-living should involve around being more positive instead of dwelling on sorrows,tragedies and being alone. there are times that we are sad, but we all have to move forward. i only wish herbs, that plu’s should read “the secret.” it is life-changing!
as what migs said, the magic of chance is only open to those who are open, and i say, those open are only those with positive mind-set.
Leo at Jun 11, 09 at 4:11 am
Panget n blog m hnd kna,ngp0p0st ng mga hunks,hai dati f0lLwer m0k0,excitd akng mkta ung mga fEAtURES celebrity m.ngaun puro ka istorya,puro kaekekang istorya…blik m n lng ung old verSI0n m ng manila gay guy,panget na ngaun panget.hnd kpa updateD 2LAD nung dti,araw araw me bg0 nun.
Dyosa at Jun 11, 09 at 10:39 am
@ram – thanks for sharing. on your question, “how can one put down the weight of aloneness without the significant other…?” aloneness need not be broken only by finding a significant other. the universe is full of different sources of companionship. in concrete, for some people, it’s family, or friends, or a vocation to a career or to a cause.
indeed, as whyte says in this poem,
“The kettle is singing
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last.”
migs at Jun 11, 09 at 11:24 am
yeah… positivism is the key…
tsaka siempre smile lang smile…. kahit pagkamalan ka ng adik…. hihihihi
Yj at Jun 11, 09 at 12:07 pm
This is very timely… i feel so lonely lately
Kai at Jun 11, 09 at 4:08 pm
ba’t di pa nag-aappear ang kinomment ko kahapon?
Echoserita at Jun 11, 09 at 5:39 pm
@dyosa..
echoserang dyosa ka… puro ka lalake.. hindi naman sa nagmamaganda ako pero reading stuff like this (well im actually a wide-reader) is something that we should be doing too. not just pictures of topless hunks who makes us horny and horny everyday.. o baka hindi mo lang naintindihan yung sinulat ni migs kaya ka napangitan.. haha..
yourgod at Jun 11, 09 at 10:46 pm
@yourgod: may i support you on this. if dyosa wants topless men, etc. he shouldn’t be reading mig’s blog. dun na siya sa mga porn sites. walang ka-class class. pwe.
Leo at Jun 11, 09 at 11:21 pm
It didn’t feel like a poem to me. Sorry! But I actually like what it contains. It’s about opening up to the possibilities of life. May it be bad, so you can wise up next time and accept failures graciously. May it be good, so you can humbly take victories.
However, the universe outside within yourself sets the parameter of your happiness, thus can still be alone.
Think about it. How many gay, bi or trans, you know that are lonely? I DO NOT KNOW THIS FOR A FACT, but I assume they are a lot! Using the number of letters in this post to count them won’t be enough. The reason of their solitaries is they are not accepted in this society. And that is fucked up! I won’t discuss the details. You probably know it. And for the closeted guys, it is more fucked up for them.
Temperature and certain conditions are prerequisite to form an alloy. The right amount of heat melts two metals and are mixed to form a stronger metal.
PS: Gosh I sound like a gay activist!:)
Blake at Jun 12, 09 at 2:45 am
… gi-atai lgeh na c Dyosa ae…
if topless hunks are what u want… then migs’ site doesn’t deserve ur goodfornothing visits and idiotic rantings…
warwickAvenue at Jun 12, 09 at 9:28 am
one of the best poems ive ever stumbled upon in years.
just captured the very essence of what i should feel in these days when my singlehood is consuming me inwards,
feeling unloved at times
thinking pressured to oblige companionship
seeking every source of fun unexplored by many
and enjoying piece of it like a kid left alone with a chocolate cake in his cousin’s bedroom.
Ers at Jun 12, 09 at 12:21 pm
*oops:
and enjoying EVERY piece of it like a kid left alone with a chocolate cake in his cousin’s bedroom.
Ers at Jun 12, 09 at 12:24 pm
hmmm,nice indeed…ganda ng message,im not familiar with the author thought,maybe i’ll start reading more of his works
maccallister at Jun 12, 09 at 10:32 pm
to everyone, i recommend you the following media to tap into your individual spirituality and to balance life with power. these are the books, videos, songs, articles and websites i attracted when i was undergoing spiritual awakening in my life:
1. the secret (Byrne)
2. abraham-hicks (youtube)
3. a course in miracles (youtube)
4. the art of seduction (Greene)
5. 48 laws of power (Greene)
6. soulmate (song by natash bedingfield)
7. like a star (corinne baily rae)
8. Intentions (Wayne Dyer)
9. Battlefield of the Ming (Joyce Meyer)
10. Shelter (Movie)
thanks migs for allowing me to post. we are all connected and migs, i can feel your every intention in your blogs/posts. you are a well-spirited man. God bless u man.
pato21 at Jun 13, 09 at 4:24 am
To: yourg0d and le0;ur so idi0t c0ling urSelF AS god,bt how you criticize me ur like a dEvil in hell..and 4 u leo do u thnk im dat kind of naive to d0nt undRsTND what miGs had wriTten..F u thnk dat u are so great being a wiDe reAder,u jst insist to urcelf dat u rily likez ol d st0ries of miG…C0M0N,,BE TRUE TO YOURself..
Dyosa at Jun 13, 09 at 8:22 am
To migz:i do apologIze 4 what ive writTen in your blog,and i dnt imagne dat pip0l here agravatng for d simple c0ment i did..I saluTE u migz and im so sory 4 d damaged i madE in your bl0g…m0re p0wer and G0d blezz..
Dyosa at Jun 13, 09 at 8:27 am
because Loneliness is killing us…….its how you dance with life that matters, regardless of your circumstance
weng at Jun 13, 09 at 9:08 pm
ahhhmmmmm… okay. iba- iba lang talaga cguro ng perspective lahat ng tao. diverse nga but nonetheless, we are happy because of what u have said before: ‘just be’…
keep on rockin’…
in Christ,
mox_ silent stranger
ram at Jun 15, 09 at 8:13 pm
great essay… more of these please
Nicholas at Jun 17, 09 at 11:42 pm
Migs, this is precisely the reason why amidst all the blogs popping (or pooping) out from everywhere, I keep coming back to MGG. You are a beacon for the gay community who constantly proves that we are not just about drooling on the male physique. We have as much substance as everyone else. Anyway, I like this poem. It is in parallel with The Secret and Whitman’s work (as Leo and Ram had observed). Also, it has touches of Eckhart Tolle in it.
helios at Jun 19, 09 at 1:25 am
Very compassionate.
jdla at Aug 1, 09 at 4:53 am