Last night before I was falling asleep, I started imagining what if each night before I wanted to sleep I had to dismantle myself and put myself piece by piece on the bedside table;what would be left.I am not quite sure of what would be left,but let me start by the beginning of the imagination
Imagine if each night first I would take out my eyeballs from my eye sockets and place them in a bowl of salt water to soak all night to wash away all the atrosities I had seen all day
Imagine if each night I would pull off my ears and place them in a box as dark as the sea and as small as my lobes so that the quietness of the sea would be captured once again in my being
Imagine if each night I would take out my tongue and place it in a river to let it flow to sea so that I would not say ever again a painful word to my neighbor or to the neighbor I share a bed with or the neighbors who live with me who had once shared the womb I carry
Imagine if I left my nose on my face, but only plugged the holes with tissues of gold and silver rays so that I would not smell the hunger in the world and the blood shed on the side walks of each street in each land
Imagine if I took my imaginary wings off and learned to fly with my heart
Imagine how free I might be if only my heart were free from the bondage of my body
Limb by limb imagine me dislocating my shoulders and putting my arms where my feet are
How would I walk around the world then, not on my hands and knees
but simply feeling my way around the world
The inner organs would continue to function as I placed them on the cold slab of marble
at the bedside that now looks more like a grave
Have I finally dug my own grave
Can I bring the flowers for my death or for my birth from the refrigerator holding the lamb to be cooked for dinner tonight
I would indeed sacrifice my body if it meant I could save my soul
I would indeed sell my body if it meant that I could help another breath or another clean their blood without a machine
I would indeed continue to live even if each and every part of my body was gone
I think in this light I understand how a soul lives on and on no matter where the body is
I have eyes in the saltwater
I have ears in the box as big as the sea
I have my tongue in the sea
My limbs are dangling somewhere
My organs are helping others breath and live
I hope my thoughts and my words and my actions will all be kept in a jar with no lid
so that they can fly and touch lives forever and bring light to all that are ready for flight
*The image is done by a student at ACS, it is art in calligraphy, using one of my poems. I will be blogging in detail about the project soon…. look for the magical art
I love the imagery here. Brilliant.
How grateful I am for your words. Thank you, it makes me believe that you saw what I saw that night before I went to bed.
Wouldn’t that be wild to take ourselves piece by piece and put on the bed side table, or in the river or the sea?
Thank you. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on other posts: )
Soon, one coming up on Valentine’s day… which I have never celebrated… but a beautiful images wanted to be told and so I tell : ) .
I keep all your words in a jar with no lid so they can fly freely in my thoughts and run wildly in my heart and touch and move me wherever I go. This was one of the most beautiful poems I have ever read in my life. I loved the beautiful dismantling of the human body and the putting back together of the human soul. Wow.
Thank you dear travel companion. I have to say that when I read your description of the poem it moves me and it soothes me. Thank you for reading into the words and giving the limbs the ability to move and they eyes the ability to see with in.
When I read “A Poem about Body Parts”, I wondered: I am living by my body or I am living with my soul?
The Poetry that inspires reflection, that addresses despair whilst embracing the beautiful, that echoes the transcendent qualities of the soul and considers the potential of the finite body – this is such poetry that appeals to the highest sentiments of my being and this is such poetry that you write.
You do know that such a poetry needs such a reader on such a journey on such a quest. Thank you for considering if you live by your body or soul. Only this alone is a reward to any writer who aspires nothing but light. Light heart, light soul, light mind, light on the way… you are my travel companion on this light filled path. Thank you