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Sunday, February 10, 2013

Poetics: The Art of Letting Go






















In the art of letting go,
practice makes perfect.

All your life you practice.

Each person you love,
once let go, is another
helper along the way.

Each goodbye you say
to another is also
whispered onto your
heart like a tender
engraving.

Each hurt you endure,
when fully felt, becomes
artful hurt, maybe
hurtful art, ultimately,
art.

You are practicing,
all your life,
the art of letting go
of your life.



Written for Poetics — The ART of Letting Go at dVerse Poets, hosted this week by Claudia Schoenfeld, whose prompt post included one of her well-crafted photographs, and (I should not be surprised by this any longer), a commentary that was so beautiful that it made me cry.

Image via 3LambsGraphics at Etsy.com

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18 comments:

  1. Marina SofiaFebruary 10, 2013 at 3:44 AM

    I love this. Has something of the Elizabeth Bishop poem about it. I especially liked the 'artful hurt', 'hurtful art' and ultimately 'art'.

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  2. LydiaFebruary 10, 2013 at 3:49 AM

    Marina~ Thank you for your comment. I am not familiar with Elizabeth Bishop's poetry, and even though it is early morning I will google her before getting some sleep. :)

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  3. Brian MillerFebruary 10, 2013 at 3:53 AM

    so true that it is a life long act of letting go...it is all a work of art...each of our actions adding just a bit more...interesting to think on what that might look like as well...smiles...i rather like the use of hurtful art as well

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  4. ClaudiaFebruary 10, 2013 at 4:51 AM

    artful hurt, maybe
    hurtful art... yep... we're practicing all our lives but sometimes i wonder if we ever become any better at letting go... just had to let go of my daughter who's studying in australia for half a year...that's what sparked the prompt...thanks for your nice words as well...smiles

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  5. ScarletFebruary 10, 2013 at 5:15 AM

    This is lovely, artful hurt, maybe hurtful art ~

    I agree, its a journey of letting go and finding ourselves again ~

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  6. Sabio LantzFebruary 10, 2013 at 6:32 AM

    Indeed! It is a life-long required hobby.

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  7. Rosaria WilliamsFebruary 10, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    This is poignant, something we all need to learn, and yet...

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  8. lucychiliFebruary 11, 2013 at 1:54 AM

    ah this is true. trying to navigate respectfully and gently.

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  9. mythopolisFebruary 11, 2013 at 3:24 PM

    I'm not sure what I think about this. You come into this world alone, you die that way too. In between you figure out what to do, and if you are lucky, you find someone who loves you.

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  10. LydiaFebruary 12, 2013 at 2:25 AM

    Brian~ I guess we can like the idea of hurtful art, but not necessarily want to experience it first-hand.

    Claudia~ Your daughter is very lucky to have a mother like you who processes this important letting-go. It will make her Australian study experience sweeter and fuller.

    Heaven~ Yes, the finding ourselves again.....

    Sabio~ Your comment was great; thanks.

    rosaria~ Oh, but you have been showing us how to let go with grace in this last year after losing your son, dear friend.

    lucychili~ Thank you for your visit and I respect your comment.:)

    mythopolis~ Yes, and if lucky, you find someone who loves you....and the letting go will be long into the future. (Did you read recently about the couple who celebrated 80 years of marriage? Even they have had to practice letting go of some children and probably most all of their old friends...)

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  11. Sabio LantzFebruary 12, 2013 at 3:20 AM

    Fun replies to our comments -- thanx

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  12. LydiaFebruary 13, 2013 at 1:34 AM

    Sabio~ You are the first person to ever thank me for replies! :)

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  13. Sabio LantzFebruary 13, 2013 at 2:37 AM

    Hey Lydia,

    People, myself included, don't follow comments, so they know the person replied.

    My cynical view is that most folks visit blogs just so that others come to read their poetry.

    But then a lot of poetry blogger don't really write their poetry nor their comments to really communicate.

    But then, I haven't finished my morning coffee yet.

    Again, I loved the expression -- "hurtful art" and what surrounds it, because it was not trying to touch up the ugliness and pain that is real.

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  14. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2013 at 7:25 PM

    Never let go
    YOYO

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  15. LydiaFebruary 14, 2013 at 2:25 AM

    Sabio~ You had not had your morning coffee yet, and you shared these amazing thoughts with me! I am honored and delighted by this exchange. Many thanks.


    Anonymous~ You sound like a keeper, yoyo.

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  16. Sabio LantzFebruary 14, 2013 at 3:08 AM

    "amazing thoughts"? Are your kidding? I pride myself in my pedestrian, plebeian proclivities!
    ;-)

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  17. LydiaFebruary 15, 2013 at 12:40 AM

    Sabio~ Three cheers for your PPP!

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  18. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2013 at 6:53 AM

    Practice practice practice...
    But I never seem to get any better at it...

    ReplyDelete

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