My dear friend, Jim, of the poetry blog, A Wrinkled Man – Un Hombre Arrugado (poetry, notebook and occasional photography),
posted this poem recently (on 10.19.2010 to be exact) and it so resonated with me that I asked if I could post it on my blog. He said yes. His poetry often “knocks me out” with its precision, humanity, humor and fine-crafting.I hope you will be as touched by this poem as I was and encourage you to visit his blog regularly.
I am one of them
The fact is,
there are sores, cankers and cavities
among people. Damage has been done to them and healing is unlikely.
For some it begins when they are very young, and the degree to which pain infiltrates their lives
is not beyond their imagination. It is exactly what they imagine.
To them, when you are met, you are another potential source of harm,
disillusionment, proof of everything that is wrong with this world. You are that.
I meet people like that, there are many
and my first impulse is to take them at better face value, someone who might trust,
who might share a bit of joy in a moment of passing acquaintance,
but I am caught up short and hardened by their posture, their back up against a wall,
their hackles raised, their inviolate space invaded.
I back away. Why not?
There is a balance to those damaged people,
(everything is in balance. even when perspective tips all the way in one direction, the pull in the opposite direction simply grows until
it becomes the gravity that restores equilibrium)
and the fact is
there are healers among people.
For some it begins when they are very young, and the degree to which joy imbues their lives
is not beyond their imagination. It is exactly what they imagine.
To them, when you are met, you are another potential source of pleasure,
delight, proof of everything that is right with this world. You are that.
I meet people like that, there are many
and my first impulse is to enjoy them, this is someone who might trust,
who might share a bit of joy in a moment of passing acquaintance,
and I am reassured by their nature, their willingness to accept me as I am and look for the joy in me.
I get closer. Why not?
I am one of them.
My dear friend, Jim, of the poetry blog, A Wrinkled Man – Un Hombre Arrugado (poetry, notebook and occasional photography),
posted this poem recently (on 10.19.2010 to be exact) and it so resonated with me that I asked if I could post it on my blog. He said yes. His poetry often “knocks me out” with its precision, humanity, humor and fine-crafting.I hope you will be as touched by this poem as I was and encourage you to visit his blog regularly.
My dear friend, Jim, of the poetry blog, A Wrinkled Man – Un Hombre Arrugado (poetry, notebook and occasional photography),
posted this poem recently (on 10.19.2010 to be exact) and it so resonated with me that I asked if I could post it on my blog. He said yes. His poetry often “knocks me out” with its precision, humanity, humor and fine-crafting.I hope you will be as touched by this poem as I was and encourage you to visit his blog regularly.
My dear friend, Jim, of the poetry blog, A Wrinkled Man – Un Hombre Arrugado (poetry, notebook and occasional photography),
posted this poem recently (on 10.19.2010 to be exact) and it so resonated with me that I asked if I could post it on my blog. He said yes. His poetry often “knocks me out” with its precision, humanity, humor and fine-crafting.I hope you will be as touched by this poem as I was and encourage you to visit his blog regularly.
I am one of them
The fact is,
there are sores, cankers and cavities
among people. Damage has been done to them and healing is unlikely.
For some it begins when they are very young, and the degree to which pain infiltrates their lives
is not beyond their imagination. It is exactly what they imagine.
To them, when you are met, you are another potential source of harm,
disillusionment, proof of everything that is wrong with this world. You are that.
I meet people like that, there are many
and my first impulse is to take them at better face value, someone who might trust,
who might share a bit of joy in a moment of passing acquaintance,
but I am caught up short and hardened by their posture, their back up against a wall,
their hackles raised, their inviolate space invaded.
I back away. Why not?
There is a balance to those damaged people,
(everything is in balance. even when perspective tips all the way in one direction, the pull in the opposite direction simply grows until
it becomes the gravity that restores equilibrium)
and the fact is
there are healers among people.
For some it begins when they are very young, and the degree to which joy imbues their lives
is not beyond their imagination. It is exactly what they imagine.
To them, when you are met, you are another potential source of pleasure,
delight, proof of everything that is right with this world. You are that.
I meet people like that, there are many
and my first impulse is to enjoy them, this is someone who might trust,
who might share a bit of joy in a moment of passing acquaintance,
and I am reassured by their nature, their willingness to accept me as I am and look for the joy in me.
I get closer. Why not?
I am one of them.
That is without a doubt the biggest plug I’ve ever been given. I hope it’s appropriate for me to thank you here. Thank You.
You’re welcome. And thank you for continually astounding me with the quality of your writing and clarity of your thoughts.
I am not surprised you got your sister a red kettle :)
Ha! Ha! Well, you know, she started buying red accessories for her kitchen, too.