Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's poem " The Journey " .) With Love, -------------------------- WILD GEESE by Oliver You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting– over and over announcing your place in the family of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 That's beautiful and so inspirational! I love Oliver. > > I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's poem " The Journey " .) > With Love, > -------------------------- > WILD GEESE > by Oliver > > You do not have to be good. > You do not have to walk on your knees > for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. > You only have to let the soft animal of your body > love what it loves. > Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. > Meanwhile the world goes on. > Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain > are moving across the landscapes, > over the prairies and the deep trees, > the mountains and the rivers. > Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, > are heading home again. > Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, > the world offers itself to your imagination, > calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting– > over and over announcing your place > in the family of things. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 I love this; thank you for sending. The world needs more poetry. I was really struck by her mention of loneliness. I was just talking about this with my fiance tonight, about being lonely for so much of my life. When I think back to my childhood I see myself and the overarching impression is that I was so lonely. As an adult, I have certainly had my lonely moments. Not now, thankfully, but I feel like it is has been such a theme. I have been wondering lately about other children of BP parents and this profound sense of loneliness. Did any of you have it growing up? It would make sense, right? With me I always wanted my mother to be there, but she was only there for me in the craziest of ways. Never unconditionally and never something I could depend on. Thank you again, . Crockett ________________________________ To: WTOAdultChildren1 Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:02 PM Subject: " Wild Geese " by Oliver  I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's poem " The Journey " .) With Love, -------------------------- WILD GEESE by Oliver You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting– over and over announcing your place in the family of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Yes, Crockett, loneliness has been a major theme in my life too. I think that because we were the ones keeping up the illusion for nada, we were very much alone- profoundly so. And besides, who would have believed us even if we confided our situation? As an adult, I have an awesome husband who is with me every step of the way, and yet I've told him that I still struggle with feeling isolated. I'll bet most of us struggle with this. > > I love this; thank you for sending. The world needs more poetry. I was really struck by her mention of loneliness. I was just talking about this with my fiance tonight, about being lonely for so much of my life. When I think back to my childhood I see myself and the overarching impression is that I was so lonely. As an adult, I have certainly had my lonely moments. Not now, thankfully, but I feel like it is has been such a theme. I have been wondering lately about other children of BP parents and this profound sense of loneliness. Did any of you have it growing up? > > It would make sense, right? With me I always wanted my mother to be there, but she was only there for me in the craziest of ways. Never unconditionally and never something I could depend on. > > > Thank you again, . > > > Crockett > > > > ________________________________ > > To: WTOAdultChildren1 > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:02 PM > Subject: " Wild Geese " by Oliver > > >  > I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's poem " The Journey " .) > With Love, > -------------------------- > WILD GEESE > by Oliver > > You do not have to be good. > You do not have to walk on your knees > for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. > You only have to let the soft animal of your body > love what it loves. > Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. > Meanwhile the world goes on. > Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain > are moving across the landscapes, > over the prairies and the deep trees, > the mountains and the rivers. > Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, > are heading home again. > Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, > the world offers itself to your imagination, > calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting†" > over and over announcing your place > in the family of things. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 And even when there were attempts to confide, people didn't believe me anyway. So many people used to always tell me how great my mother was, how much she loved me, blah, blah, blah. They had no idea. I was the golden girl and my sister was the bad one as far as the classic " splitting " tendencies are concerned. My sister has often thrown my mother's favoritism towards me in my face. I few years ago I'd had enough and I explained to her that being the golden one came with its own piles of shit, just like her position did, one example for me being how difficult it was dealing when others around me thought my mother just loved, loved, LOVED me. To this day relatives who don't understand why " you just can't call your mother " tell me how I was always her favorite. I do struggle with that isolation feeling too. I feel like it is always something there somewhere under the surface sometimes. So I know exactly what you mean. It can be things like a certain kind of weather, etc., that triggers that feeling. Only recently have I started to wonder about other people who grew up with BP parents. Thanks for responding! Crockett ________________________________ To: WTOAdultChildren1 Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:19 PM Subject: Re: " Wild Geese " by Oliver  Yes, Crockett, loneliness has been a major theme in my life too. I think that because we were the ones keeping up the illusion for nada, we were very much alone- profoundly so. And besides, who would have believed us even if we confided our situation? As an adult, I have an awesome husband who is with me every step of the way, and yet I've told him that I still struggle with feeling isolated. I'll bet most of us struggle with this. > > I love this; thank you for sending. The world needs more poetry. I was really struck by her mention of loneliness. I was just talking about this with my fiance tonight, about being lonely for so much of my life. When I think back to my childhood I see myself and the overarching impression is that I was so lonely. As an adult, I have certainly had my lonely moments. Not now, thankfully, but I feel like it is has been such a theme. I have been wondering lately about other children of BP parents and this profound sense of loneliness. Did any of you have it growing up? > > It would make sense, right? With me I always wanted my mother to be there, but she was only there for me in the craziest of ways. Never unconditionally and never something I could depend on. > > > Thank you again, . > > > Crockett > > > > ________________________________ > > To: WTOAdultChildren1 > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:02 PM > Subject: " Wild Geese " by Oliver > > >  > I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's poem " The Journey " .) > With Love, > -------------------------- > WILD GEESE > by Oliver > > You do not have to be good. > You do not have to walk on your knees > for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. > You only have to let the soft animal of your body > love what it loves. > Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. > Meanwhile the world goes on. > Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain > are moving across the landscapes, > over the prairies and the deep trees, > the mountains and the rivers. > Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, > are heading home again. > Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, > the world offers itself to your imagination, > calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting†" > over and over announcing your place > in the family of things. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 beautiful!!! Thank you!! > ** > > > And even when there were attempts to confide, people didn't believe me > anyway. So many people used to always tell me how great my mother was, how > much she loved me, blah, blah, blah. They had no idea. I was the golden girl > and my sister was the bad one as far as the classic " splitting " tendencies > are concerned. My sister has often thrown my mother's favoritism towards me > in my face. I few years ago I'd had enough and I explained to her that being > the golden one came with its own piles of shit, just like her position did, > one example for me being how difficult it was dealing when others around me > thought my mother just loved, loved, LOVED me. To this day relatives who > don't understand why " you just can't call your mother " tell me how I was > always her favorite. > > I do struggle with that isolation feeling too. I feel like it is always > something there somewhere under the surface sometimes. So I know exactly > what you mean. It can be things like a certain kind of weather, etc., that > triggers that feeling. Only recently have I started to wonder about other > people who grew up with BP parents. Thanks for responding! > > > Crockett > > ________________________________ > > To: WTOAdultChildren1 > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:19 PM > Subject: Re: " Wild Geese " by Oliver > > > > Yes, Crockett, loneliness has been a major theme in my life too. I think > that because we were the ones keeping up the illusion for nada, we were very > much alone- profoundly so. And besides, who would have believed us even if > we confided our situation? > > As an adult, I have an awesome husband who is with me every step of the > way, and yet I've told him that I still struggle with feeling isolated. I'll > bet most of us struggle with this. > > > > > > I love this; thank you for sending. The world needs more poetry. I was > really struck by her mention of loneliness. I was just talking about this > with my fiance tonight, about being lonely for so much of my life. When I > think back to my childhood I see myself and the overarching impression is > that I was so lonely. As an adult, I have certainly had my lonely moments. > Not now, thankfully, but I feel like it is has been such a theme. I have > been wondering lately about other children of BP parents and this profound > sense of loneliness. Did any of you have it growing up? > > > > It would make sense, right? With me I always wanted my mother to be > there, but she was only there for me in the craziest of ways. Never > unconditionally and never something I could depend on. > > > > > > Thank you again, . > > > > > > Crockett > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > To: WTOAdultChildren1 > > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:02 PM > > Subject: " Wild Geese " by Oliver > > > > > >  > > I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been > very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world > after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's > poem " The Journey " .) > > With Love, > > -------------------------- > > WILD GEESE > > by Oliver > > > > You do not have to be good. > > You do not have to walk on your knees > > for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. > > You only have to let the soft animal of your body > > love what it loves. > > Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. > > Meanwhile the world goes on. > > Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain > > are moving across the landscapes, > > over the prairies and the deep trees, > > the mountains and the rivers. > > Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, > > are heading home again. > > Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, > > the world offers itself to your imagination, > > calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting†" > > over and over announcing your place > > in the family of things. > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 that's so lovely. thanks for sharing it. > > I don't know if this has ever been posted here, but this poem has been very encouraging to me in this process of finding my place in the world after disengaging from nada's abuse. (I also recommend reading Oliver's poem " The Journey " .) > With Love, > -------------------------- > WILD GEESE > by Oliver > > You do not have to be good. > You do not have to walk on your knees > for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. > You only have to let the soft animal of your body > love what it loves. > Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. > Meanwhile the world goes on. > Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain > are moving across the landscapes, > over the prairies and the deep trees, > the mountains and the rivers. > Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, > are heading home again. > Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, > the world offers itself to your imagination, > calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting– > over and over announcing your place > in the family of things. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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