Changing times #Haiku Challenge 1@RonovanWrites

RonovanWrites Haiku Challenge 141 with prompt words – Breeze, Blow

Age old breeze of time

Sweeping debris, unceasing

Change is ever, more.

~ FlorenceT

In gratitude of the present. These are the days…

~ FlorenceT

Heat Waves – #Haiku Challenge 132 @RonovanWrites

RonovanWrites Haiku Challenge 132 with prompt words – Flame, Kiss

Fire rages on
Heat waves plundering, assaults
Like a lover’s kiss.
~ FlorenceT

Enjoy –

Contemplation on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving… giving thanks… for what do we give thanks? Today? At this time?

In a time when every change, great or small, is tracked, accentuated, dissected, analysed, discussed… its volume so loud that we lose sight of its actual significance, we lose the measure of their relative importance. Everything is the same, and nothing is the same. The noise causing us to lose our sense of what is true.

So perhaps at this time of year – whether we are religious or otherwise, whether we are alone, with family or friends, whether we are home or missing home – we may carve out a space to contemplate on what is true – the circle of life which connects us and “touches everyone, as it crosses every boundary underneath the sun“.

Some say
The walls between us stand so tall
They don’t see there’s just one sun
Shining on us all

I say
We each choose roads to call our own
But none of us is travelling through
This universe alone

And this circle
Just goes on and on
It began before us
It will be here when we’ve gone

And this circle
Just goes on and on and on
Connecting our humanity
Joining me to you and you to me

Seasons
Keep spinning on the wheel of time
We stand we fall
We struggle up

The mountains we must climb
Different dreams
May color what we see ahead
But our lives are strong together
On a common thread

And this circle (circle)
Just goes on and on (on and on)
It began before us
It will be here when we’ve gone

And this circle
Just goes on and on and on
Connecting our humanity
Joining me to you and you to me

Around and round and round and round we go
Around and round and round we go
Love and learn and change and grow
Round and round and round we go

And this circle
Touches everyone
As it crosses every boundary
Underneath the sun

And this circle
Just goes on and on
It began before us
It will be here when we’re gone

Yes this circle
Just goes on and on and on
Someday we will come to see
I’m joined to you and you to me

So to my American friends and readers:

~ FlorenceT

#Tanka Challenge 6 @ColleenChesebro

My contribution to Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Poetry Prompt Challenge, with her prompt words – Wind and Grace.

Autumn leaves falling,
wind aloft, being carried
to a distant shore;
As love awaits beyond time,
to claim and be claimed, the same.
~ Florence T

And a song along similar theme, for your enjoyment:

~ FlorenceT

Breathe

Breathe.

One word, and so much more. Different for each of us.

Breathe.

I remember when I first needed this word.

I remember when it meant more to me than an act.

Slow down.

Settle in.

It’ll be fine.

Be patient.

Treasure this.

You are amazing.

Breathe.

One word, a world of meanings.

~ FlorenceT

Sail away in contemplation

Sailing on the Gulf of Tonkin specifically Halong Bay off the northern coast of Vietnam, all is peace and quiet. This is despite the approximate 1000 boats on the bay to cater for tourism in the area. Halong Bay was included as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, and one of the 7 new wonders by New 7 Wonders Foundation 2012; so yes, heaps of tourists.

Yet for some locals, their world remains relatively simple. The local fishermen continue to live and work on the bay, amidst the 2000-odd limestone karst protruding from the sea. Their family especially the women, have become sellers of wares and food, servicing the tourist boats which sail the area. Their home a boat or a floating barge, their possessions few yet it would appear sufficient. Which causes me to reflect on my ‘enough’, and our true need.

I marvel at the simplicity of life here, thinking I could sail on this bay indefinitely. Then I am reminded of the privilege of having my bed made, food prepared and physical spaces cleaned so I could enjoy this. Would I say the same if I had to do them all myself, with limited fresh water supply, space and ‘modern’ amenities? Definitely not.

Which leads me back to simplicity – seeing the children live without the distraction of social media and the pressures of the civilised world, having learnt to swim and fend for themselves in their beautiful natural world. I wonder if they appreciate their world; or do they long for the life of the people who intrude their world with materials things which they do not possess? Do they believe that that unknown is better? How will they navigate being part of this landscape and the supposed ‘better’ one?

Simplicity does not equate to ‘not difficult’, this I know. Their lives are by no means easy. As the movement to ‘be here now’ ‘in the moment’ and wellbeing takes flight in the “civilized” world, perhaps this is it – that all things are ‘the small stuff’ except for life and death, which is simple as beyond our control. And even death, at least ours, is a small thing in the grand scheme of L-i-f-e. What matters is the journey we take in this life and the love we have towards one another in whichever form, be they in tourist money or a smile and a kind gesture or a respectful interaction between two worlds.

Namaste.

~ FlorenceT

N.B. A song that crept to mind … a throwback to 1977.

Stole the show

I am a mother, and thus by popular narrative, I am ‘daggy’, ‘old-fashioned’ and not cool according to my children. They love me lots but I am ‘old’. This naturally translates to the music I listen to, as being ‘not trendy’.

Lucky for me, they attempt to educate me on what ‘good’ music is, and as any ‘good’ mother would do (saying this tongue in cheek!), I listen, I learn and I allow myself the space to embrace (or try to embrace) the music from their perspectives.

As Khalil Gibran in his poem “On Children” stated,

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

I can never be them nor they me, but I can certainly walk with them on their journey, if for nothing else but curiosity. Both children have worked out what my musical ‘taste’ is – or I should probably say, what my ears are attuned to. They introduce their music to me, every so often testing the limits of my endurance :-).

As I open myself to different experiences, they show me a world I would not have encountered on my own. I am also being privileged with beautiful music I am likely not to chance upon on my own.

One such song is ‘Stole the Show’ by Kygo, a Norwegian music producer, in his collaboration with Parson James. This song made its debut in Coachella 2015 and was quite a hit.

I love this song – for its rhythm, melody and lyrics. What a metaphor for the end of a relationship!

I hope you enjoy!

Darling, darling, oh, turn the lights back on now
Watching, watching, as the credits all roll down
Crying, crying, you know we’re playing to a full house, house

No heroes, villains, one to blame
While wilted roses filled the stage
And the thrill, the thrill is gone
Our debut was a masterpiece
But in the end for you and me
Oh, the show, it can’t go on

We used to have it all, but now’s our curtain call
So hold for the applause, oh
And wave out to the crowd, and take our final bow
Oh, it’s our time to go, but at least we stole the show
At least we stole the show
At least we stole the show
At least we stole the show
At least we stole the show

At least we stole the show

Darling, darling, you know that we are sold out
This is fading, but the band plays on now
We’re crying, crying, so let the velvet roll down, down

– FlorenceT

Pieces… Rob Thomas

And he’s back… Rob Thomas’ latest single, Pieces.

Enjoy!

Run away, run away if you can’t speak
Turn a page on a world that you don’t need
Wide awake and you’re scared that you won’t come down now

Didn’t I tell you you were gonna break down
Didn’t I warn you, didn’t I warn you
Better take it easy, try to find a way out
Better start believing in yourself

We build it up, we tear it down
We leave our pieces on the ground
We see no end, we don’t know how
We are lost and we’re falling
Hold onto me
You’re all I have, all I have
Hold onto me
You’re all I have, all I have

Now and then there’s a light in the darkness
Feel around till you find where your heart went
There’s a weight in the air but you can’t see why, why

Didn’t I tell you you were gonna break down
Didn’t I want you, everybody wants you
Tell me what you’re needing, give into your bleeding
Never any feeling for yourself

Didn’t I tell you you were gonna break down
Didn’t I warn you, didn’t I warn you
Better take it easy, try to find a way out
Better start believing in yourself

~ FlorenceT

On love…Alain de Botton

“… any of our ideas about love comes from reading novels… essentially we are shaped by the love narratives that we read. … We love within a very historical social context…”

“… romanticism has been a catastrophe to our capacity to have good long-term relationships…”

Alain de Botton: On Love (at the Sydney Opera House, 10 July 2016)

What does he mean? True for you?

Watch and enjoy. 🙂

~ FlorenceT

Know your value… be bold

Here is a conversation between First Lady of the USA Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey at the recent United State of Women …

~ FlorenceT

MEANINGS AND MUSINGS

Making meaning of our life stories…

Contemplate

Changing times #Haiku Challenge 1@RonovanWrites

Heat Waves – #Haiku Challenge 132 @RonovanWrites

Contemplation on Thanksgiving

#Tanka Challenge 6 @ColleenChesebro

Breathe

Sail away in contemplation

Stole the show

Pieces… Rob Thomas

On love…Alain de Botton

Know your value… be bold

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