Thanks so much for introducing more folks to Tennyson's poem! Your poem is elevated for being tied to and buiilt on "The Lady of Shalott." All of its feelings and yours mingle and interweave in meaning. They inform each other.
I did something similar with Sylvia Plath's "Wintering," and poured in all my longing around the psalm I will never sing, Psalm 89, at the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. (I'm at the midnight service, which uses a different psalm.)
Yay!!! I hope the readers enjoyed and found it more accessible and interesting. And thank you SO much for such kind words about how the two poems talk to each other. You have inspired me to go back to "Wintering." Would love you to share more about this poem of yours. You are my second writerly friend to mention Sylvia Plath in regard to my own writing/sharing this week. Bless you.
i burst into tears at "this pane." longing is, indeed, universal and this felt like a whirlwind through its starkness and wishes for something different. i am absolutely going to ponder your prompt. what a wonderful idea! <3
Oh, my heart! I have tears reading this and your tears. I hope you felt seen and held. Longing in our pain/pane is so hard! I hope you enjoy the prompt. Love and healing and light to you, friend!
Thank you for this depth—I am sad for your despair, yet I’m grateful for how you turn that into art. Mournful and beautiful poem…spoke to my heart too.
Ah: to join the world once more, restored to all that has been lost, to pretend that there is hope among the shadows, and to believe that laughter can bring us safely home. Longing indeed, Kimberly!
I’ve been pondering the idea of longing for a while. Your article has brought it back into focus. It’s been nice to read The Lady of Shalott again, and consider it through this wondering about longing.
I wanted to push back at your imagining that all others were living perfectly perfect lives. Except then you told you reason — the pure hope of it — and I agreed with you. There is much brokenness both inside and out. Now you need to read The Green Ember series so we can say together, "It will not be so in the mend woods!"
Yes, that's the hope--to wonder why I would think that but then to see it is itself an act of hope, a trick of the mind, to hope and believe there is more than this. And now I must truly make a mental note about this Green Ember series. That quote moves me so each time you share it. Love you, sweet friend.
Thanks so much for introducing more folks to Tennyson's poem! Your poem is elevated for being tied to and buiilt on "The Lady of Shalott." All of its feelings and yours mingle and interweave in meaning. They inform each other.
I did something similar with Sylvia Plath's "Wintering," and poured in all my longing around the psalm I will never sing, Psalm 89, at the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. (I'm at the midnight service, which uses a different psalm.)
Yay!!! I hope the readers enjoyed and found it more accessible and interesting. And thank you SO much for such kind words about how the two poems talk to each other. You have inspired me to go back to "Wintering." Would love you to share more about this poem of yours. You are my second writerly friend to mention Sylvia Plath in regard to my own writing/sharing this week. Bless you.
i burst into tears at "this pane." longing is, indeed, universal and this felt like a whirlwind through its starkness and wishes for something different. i am absolutely going to ponder your prompt. what a wonderful idea! <3
Oh, my heart! I have tears reading this and your tears. I hope you felt seen and held. Longing in our pain/pane is so hard! I hope you enjoy the prompt. Love and healing and light to you, friend!
Thank you for this depth—I am sad for your despair, yet I’m grateful for how you turn that into art. Mournful and beautiful poem…spoke to my heart too.
Oh, friend! It's the only way through--that we might beautify our grief, which you do so beautifully. Love you.
Amen and amen!! (And thank you!!) 🫶🏻💛
I love this poem and it's ending lines as well as yours. Also, these prompts. So much to ponder here. Sadness yet beauty.
Oh, thank you!!! I hope you might enjoy putting those prompts to good use. If you do, share away!
Ah: to join the world once more, restored to all that has been lost, to pretend that there is hope among the shadows, and to believe that laughter can bring us safely home. Longing indeed, Kimberly!
YES! So beautifully and poignantly said, as always! Sending you love and light, sweet Cheryl.
I’ve been pondering the idea of longing for a while. Your article has brought it back into focus. It’s been nice to read The Lady of Shalott again, and consider it through this wondering about longing.
Oh so lovely!!! If you create anything on longing inspired by this, be sure to tag me or share. 🙏🏼
I will ☺️
I wanted to push back at your imagining that all others were living perfectly perfect lives. Except then you told you reason — the pure hope of it — and I agreed with you. There is much brokenness both inside and out. Now you need to read The Green Ember series so we can say together, "It will not be so in the mend woods!"
Yes, that's the hope--to wonder why I would think that but then to see it is itself an act of hope, a trick of the mind, to hope and believe there is more than this. And now I must truly make a mental note about this Green Ember series. That quote moves me so each time you share it. Love you, sweet friend.
I'm glad you introduced me to this poem! Ah, there's so much to interpret here! 🙏🏽
Yay!! A new friend of the "Lady." So good, right? So much to dig into!! I never grow bored of her.