When I took the little quiz linked above I thought I'd of course be labeled a night person after answering the questions. Especially in light of the crazy night owl pattern I've been in for months now, and that I have grown to be depressed about not effectively changing.....yet.
Funny how the answers to most of life's problems are found in the small, still voice within. Sometimes that voice is an echo from the past -- like an old diary entry, a scribbled note.......or a poem written years ago. I heard an echo when the quiz results knocked at the door to where my inner wisdom-keeper resides. As soon as I remembered that I am an afternoon person I remembered I have always known that about myself. So strongly, in fact, that I wrote the poem below when I was 25 years old.
Yes, Self, I am paying attention.
You Are an Afternoon PersonYou can find energy any time of the day.....or night!
You prefer to be out and about when most other people are.
Very early mornings or very late nights aren’t really your thing.
You’re practically solar powered, and the afternoon is when you do best
Noon and Beyond
Linger afternoon.
You let remembering sing
where night only shadows memories
with a fear of loss.
Linger afternoon.
Your three o’clock breath is sweet and free.
Stay and let my thoughts
tumble with your leaves;
give me your light for
there’s so much to see now
I have had coffee conversation mornings
and winsome wine nights
but I raised myself
on afternoon assurance.
Linger
Afternoon gave strength
as I struggled in and out
of love with myself,
when I wandered in and out
of love with others.
You spent time with me
as those faces molded to the clouds
and separated into truths.
Linger
Afternoon was my guide
when growing summoned unsure futures.
The calendar then seemed cruel
so you let me sleep
and bore those times as I dreamed.
Then you whispered, woke me once,
and I thanked you for
the rest behind and
waltzed with you ahead.
Linger afternoon
beyond these words.
Take me back, rush me forward
but cradle me with the wind and sun
dancing together
in your dusty day.
MLM (Lydia) 1976
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11 comments:
Nice poem, Lydia! I'm a morning person, no doubt. Now that it's getting dark earlier I can barely make it to 9pm!
shivers up and down my arms when I read this post.
"As soon as I remembered that I am an afternoon person I remembered I have always known that about myself."
such a beautiful way to think of nostalgia...
When I read the date on this poem I had one thought - I really want to be like you when I grow up!
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment on my blog Lydia.
I'm pretty much a night person in the last 10 years or so. However the years prior to that I was always "Ms.perky morning" person! Strange how life changes can affect you in special ways like sleep patterns and energy level times.
I often feel when it's late at night that is my quiet time to write and listen to my favorite music and to go "within"...or create some kind of art...or dance "wild and crazy" my little outlet. But it's also because I've no privacy other than that time right now.
I really like your poem. It resonates with me the way you write.
I read your view me profile..we are the same age and I don't want to let my hair be grey yet either..so I color it also..I understand, like you I'm not ready yet!..:o)
Blessings,
Rhi
Angela,
Thank you. I imagine it gets dark more quickly for you if you're situated in the mountains there. BTW, have you read THIS HOUSE OF SKY by Ivan Doig? O, it's one of my favorites. Your blog title reminded me of it and how I'd like to read it again. I must!
Little Bird,
O, your comments and compliments mean the world to me. I'm touched and honored that you would think that. :)
Rhi,
Thanks for commenting about my poem.
It was a pleasure to drop by your blog and I'll return.
I never was a perky morning person but I did my best to "act as if" all the years I worked. It wasn't my co-workers' faults that I hated the mornings so I guess I was perky too, for them!
I used to dance "wild and crazy" at night before I married. Just can't do that with a sleeping husband, at least not in a small house.
Have you seen the subtitle on The Melindaville Blog? "Wild women don't die -- they simply dye their hair" I love that....
Dearest Lydia Sis,
I have remembered this poem, or parts of it, throughout the years. Probably because it is a truly great poem! As soon as I saw the blog listing I was sure it would be contained therein and I was so glad to be able to reread it again in full.
I possibly never told you how much it amazed me before. I am sorry for that. I remember when I read it that I was stunned that anyone could be an afternoon person. That was back when I was a very morning person. That trend ended when the boys were born. Then, frequent awakenings at night with a baby nuzzling to be fed made mornings difficult to bear. I have wondered why Tom and I have continued with our patterns of taking shifts so to speak in our wakefulness now that the boys are well past the early stages of nightmares and such. Then it dawned on me that they soon will be staying out late on their own and my current practice of hardly every going to bed before 3 p.m. will be useful in terms of monitoring curfew compliance. Yes, I like you am staying up late into the early morning time. I think I wrote you about being awake for the early morning Blue Hour. I usually don't make it that late, however. But it is my time for privacy and creativity as Rhiannon wrote. I used to dance, but lack the energy these days.
This is my first blog response. Aren't you proud of me. I will close here hoping you will be able to get this. I can see the benefit of blogs as opposed to emails at it allows a creative focus that is often bypassed in the hurried message. Thanks for nudging me into this.
I love You,
Borge
Dearest Borge,
I'm not only proud of you for creating your first blog comment, but I'm responding immediately to let you know that it made my day.
You're right about the blogging community being a marvelous outlet for creative expression. There is a true sharing here that I find compelling and nourishing. Bloggers and those leaving comments may or may not use their actual names, may be using a variation or part of their names, or may use an expressive moniker. But I read at one blog "You can't hide the real you for long in the blogosphere. Very quickly, the real person opens up there."
I never even thought to use my nickname for you here at my blog. I'm going to call you Borge here from now on. Others who read this will wonder where in the heck that could have come from (Little Bird with her two sisters undoubtedly knows about the attachment of nicknames). There was a movie that you and I saw on TV (I checked: 1967)that was inventive enough for me to remember some parts of it today. Called "The Borgia Stick."
Exactly how the name Borge (pronounced Burrg with a soft 'g' for anyone interested)came from that is mysterious, but, as you know, it's my usual way of addressing you.
It is interesting to me that we are each into staying up 'til the mornings. I do remember you telling me about your like-pattern after I sent you that beautiful CD last year, "The Blue Hour." Seems to me that the pattern does have a role in your life with the boys nearing the stage you mentioned. As for me, however, I'm going to continue to try to make 12:30 a.m. my bedtime, with 2:00 a.m. the latest. We'll see how it goes....
Last question: were you able to play the video in my post with the poem? I've asked and asked if you guys are still on dial-up. I hope your area has been upgraded so that you can better enjoy the technology available. But you've made this huge first step in leaving your comments here. Please do so as frequently as your swamped schedule will allow.
I love you, too,
Lydia
Borge,
When I asked about the video I was referring to the post prior to the one with the poem. It was that post that I dedicated to you, the Dancing Bear one.
:)Lydia
I think I'm a morning person, but am probably more of an afternoon person really.
that is a beautiful poem. I wish I could express myself like that.
Elizabeth,
Did you click on the link to take the quiz? It's a real quick one and you might have some fun.
As far as expressing yourself.....um, your touching and artistic photography is such a gift and I wish I could express myself like that! I realize that you shoot other subjects besides the state and your dog, but I really do consider your blog a love letter to Oregon and Atlas.....
Lydia,
I loved that poem you wrote--and a couple of the lines really grabbed me:
Afternoon gave strength
as I struggled in and out
of love with myself,
when I wandered in and out
of love with others.
You spent time with me
as those faces molded to the clouds
and separated into truths.
Could I ever relate to that! Brilliantly and beautifully written.
I also took that little quiz and was CERTAIN I was going to be a night person--but surprisingly, it said I was an afternoon person! :) I must be getting older!
Take care,
Melinda
Melinda,
Thank you so much for going back and reading this post, and for leaving such kind comments. It's fun to share afternoons with you (but we can still belong to the night.....).
Happy New Year, almost.
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