A L O H A !
" I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too? "
Emily Dickinson
One of the Blog-O-sphere's true gifts
is the knowledge that there are others
like ourselves
out there.
A blog friend of mine,
FRIKO,
FRIKO,
composed a thoughtful poem
that has stayed with me
since I read it last night.
While it is deeply particular,
it is also universal,
and speaks for
me too
with lovely, simple,
elegant language.
I posted it to a friend's FB wall
So here it is pasted below.
Her name is a hot-link to her blog.
You can tell her
that YOU
that YOU
are nobody too.
But my,
there are lots of us!
Jolly . . .
Warmly, cloudia
Warmly, cloudia
<<>>
"Speaking to Myself"
by Friko
" Remember,
first of all,
you are no better and no worse than anyone.
You are human,
not super-human,
not less than human,
Just human.
As good as anyone else.
Once considered tall,
at the head of every line-up in school,
you've shrunk a little,
the people coming after you having grown taller
than those who lived before you.
Capable hands,
a straight back,
eyes that have grown a little dim with time
but still able to see clearly in the ways that matter.
Sorrow and joy,
laughter and tears,
the good days and bad,
accept them all.
Indifference is death.
Be kind to yourself,
or you will not be kind to others;
Forgive yourself,
only then will you forgive others.
Make empathy, patience and goodwill
become your golden rule.
Your life is yours,
and yours alone.
So live it well,
discard the fleeting fashions of the world.
Accept wise counsel but
ignore the siren voices of the fools who
call to you to follow them.
The world is yours,
take care of it.
The moon, the stars, the sun to light your night and day,
all yours, to share with every living creature.
The whole world is your garden,
so treat it gently.
You have lived more than half your life by now,
you've grown a little wiser
than the foolish girl you knew when you were young.
you've learned to place your trust
with careful circumspection;
you speak in truth to others
and always to yourself.
Delusion is best served in tiny measures,
but never to yourself.
With every breath you take,
remember that your time on earth is limited,
be mindful and courageous,
and face each day as it unfolds
in all its myriad diversity
with equanimity.
But above all,
be human."
first of all,
you are no better and no worse than anyone.
You are human,
not super-human,
not less than human,
Just human.
As good as anyone else.
Once considered tall,
at the head of every line-up in school,
you've shrunk a little,
the people coming after you having grown taller
than those who lived before you.
Capable hands,
a straight back,
eyes that have grown a little dim with time
but still able to see clearly in the ways that matter.
Sorrow and joy,
laughter and tears,
the good days and bad,
accept them all.
Indifference is death.
Be kind to yourself,
or you will not be kind to others;
Forgive yourself,
only then will you forgive others.
Make empathy, patience and goodwill
become your golden rule.
Your life is yours,
and yours alone.
So live it well,
discard the fleeting fashions of the world.
Accept wise counsel but
ignore the siren voices of the fools who
call to you to follow them.
The world is yours,
take care of it.
The moon, the stars, the sun to light your night and day,
all yours, to share with every living creature.
The whole world is your garden,
so treat it gently.
You have lived more than half your life by now,
you've grown a little wiser
than the foolish girl you knew when you were young.
you've learned to place your trust
with careful circumspection;
you speak in truth to others
and always to yourself.
Delusion is best served in tiny measures,
but never to yourself.
With every breath you take,
remember that your time on earth is limited,
be mindful and courageous,
and face each day as it unfolds
in all its myriad diversity
with equanimity.
But above all,
be human."
Oh Grand words from Friko! Mahalo for sharing...this is a comfort spiral and a gentle wisdom spiral. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteJUst what the doctor ordered. Thanks for sharing this, Cloudia.
ReplyDeleteI can see how this lovely poem could lift a weary soul...it is one that lingers leaving you with much thought, but also reconfirms what we knew all along, but often forget..... thanks to you and Friko for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteA l o h a !!!
I learn to be humble!
ReplyDeleteAh I have just come from Friko's blog where I have read this gem. Good for you for sharing it here, too. Happy New Year, my friend.
ReplyDeleteYour friend is a wise lady Cloudia and the image she picked to accompany the verse is just such a perfect union. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, Cloudia!
ReplyDeletewell said
ReplyDeleteThis is wow!!! very inspirational. I guess a life's lesson summed up beautifully in a single poem. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteI really love this poem. Bravo Friko! =)
ReplyDeleteWOW! Just Wow! I seem to say only that about a lot of your posts!
ReplyDeleteIt is because they are so consistently awesome--Like You!- and that's Nobody's business but ours!!!
HFTEC
J
Thank you. Beautiful and true.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem for sure.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see you here - thanks to each of YOU!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great poem. I can relate to it, having often been the odd one in the group for various reasons (always plenty to choose from).
ReplyDeleteBe human. That's the job.
Thanks for this great post.
thank You
ReplyDeletelovely post
ReplyDeletein every way~
that is a great poem by friko...and so true...
ReplyDeletehey good news on the vog...another blog friend is over there vacationing and posted on it today...
I can see why you posted her poem, she's positive and careing like YOU! Whenever I see your Avatar on my blog, I feel like I'm being visited by an Angel.
ReplyDeleteThank You Cloudia for spreading Joy and Love wherever you go...
Galen
Great poem!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. My neighbor's husband just passed away. We all loved Charlie. It made me realize that yes, our time on earth is limited. We have to enjoy the beauty and goodness of it, and if possible... create more.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I read Friko's poem a couple of days ago.
ReplyDeleteyes, the VOG is gone and I'm sittin pretty!
ReplyDeleteThanks EACH of YOU!