An unexpected opportunity
A lovely surprise.
Or not.
Thwarted by absence.
Then presence.
Nothing’s ever quite what’s imagined.
Intention yields to alteration
or obliteration.
Wishes wasted by
reality.
Nevertheless, we continue
to try.
poem-nudge December 6, 2017
Of course.
I will.
I say it.
I mean it.
But.
Squirrel!
Remind me,
I say.
I mean it.
Of course,
I will.
I mean it.
I will.
Oh, right,
I forgot.
.
.
.
Sometimes, our good intentions get lost in our busyness! How many times have I told people to remind me what I’ve agreed to do for them, because I will likely forget, despite my willingness? I’ve got a memory like a sieve, despite my best intentions. Does this happen to you, too? How awkward is it to make the nudging calls or send the nudging message? Will you nudge, or do you presume the person really doesn’t want to do it? I worry people think I don’t mean it when I ask them to remind me.
quote- word spirit May 22, 2017
Speaking of how the Dalai Lama can fill a stadium of people to hear him speak, Desmond Tutu observed,
It’s not the words.
It’s the spirit behind the words.
(in The Book of Joy.)
When I read really great writing, I sense the ‘something’ that takes it from good to phenomenal. I was recently judging poetry, for example, and for most pieces, it was easy to set them aside as pretty words to something worth a second look. Others grabbed me and were set in the possible winner pile. My co-judges ended up with piles that included the same pieces. They were special.
I just spent the weekend at the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm. I have reached the place in my writing where I have many skills. I am shortlisted for many competitions. But I often feel that ‘something’ is missing, and judges must too, since I have never won a first. What is it? This is the year I’ve been specifically searching for the answer. Through the course of the weekend, I found a familiar refrain through many workshops. The universe was answering my question.
It’s about intention.
We need to know WHY we’re telling the story. We need to know the audience and we need to know why we’re telling the story to THAT person (different things, possibly). Knowing these things puts a point of focus on the work that can elevate its power.
So I have this newfound knowledge in my pocket, and the next day, Desmond Tutu tells me this. It’s the spirit behind the word. What is that if not intention? I think personality is spirit, but fundamentally, it’s about intention. The Dalai Lama’s intention is spreading peace, love, and acceptance. It’s the spirit of the words he speaks, and the truth behind his intention resonates deeply within those who hear him. I’m not sure, precisely, how to do this, but I am fairly certain that like dealing with addiction, acknowledging it is the first step.
When the universe has a message for you, it can get quite insistent.
Well then.
Let’s begin.
poem- missed June 14, 2015
The mark was missed
the complications overwhelmed the need
for simplicity
and now the resulting confusion
obliterates the good intentions and the message
that she thought was being conveyed.
The arrow did not hit the target;
it is quivering in a tree several feet away,
but at least it’s not in anyone’s
back.
poem-arrows April 21, 2015
Sometimes I get the feeling
our words are arrows
passing each other,
feathers steering a fine point
that misses its mark.
You declare a bulls eye,
but your arrow’s embedded in your neighbour’s target.
My arrow twitches in the straw
waiting for another chance.
A quiver full of words
I hope each aims true,
but sometimes the flight path
looks quite different to you
Shawn L. Bird 