Monday, November 22, 2010

Passers-By



live where you can live
as we dig in rooted ground
trust what you can trust
as we map the traveled towns
the sidewalk can be crowded
where we hope to catch an eye
how do you make peace
when we're only passers-by?

11 comments:

Shadow said...

i love being that unknown face, the passer-by, in a strange town...

Karen said...

Really nice in tone, rhythm, and message.

the walking man said...

Palin took smile and wink out of the equation so now it is a simple walk up and introduce yourself.

Oddyoddyo13 said...

There is truth in these words, grasshopper. (Or is it master? I should really watch Karate Kid one day...)

Anonymous said...

Shadow, mystery brings infinite possibilities.

Karen, I do love rhyme for these sorts of poems.

Walking Man, you betcha!

Oddyoddyo13, grasshopper came from the John Carradine (sp?) series. I think it was simply Kung Fu or something like that. Many great lines from the Karate Kid, though. "Wax on, wax off.... You too much TV...." :D

Seré Prince Halverson said...

Lovely and haunting. There's a sadness and irony here in our temporal scratching against the eternal; our fleeting attempts to make some sort of lasting connection. The photo is as always, perfection.

SarahA said...

I am thinking, the 'passer-by sees so much more.
The read very easy on the eyes and brain. The flow through like a silk scarf blowing in the gentle breeze.

Jamie Ford said...

Evocative as always...

Dr. Cheryl Carvajal said...

Perhaps part of the equation is our own--that we not be passers-by, but reach out and listen, and learn, and connect, even if that means we don't get where we're going so fast.

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

I do believe that has been the trouble all along with civilization. We don't know how to make peace and keep peace.

Very appealing poem - and thought provoking.

Anonymous said...

Sere, that really rings true for me. The emotion of what you're saying. Maybe there never was such a thing as a lasting connection. Then again, maybe a piece of us never gives it up completely. (And thanks for mentioning the photo! :) )

SarahA, you're right. To pass by gives the most experience possible to the observer. But sometimes you want to experience less randonmess and more of what draws you.

Jamie Ford, great to see you, my friend! I continue to watch your success with pride. You always have supporter here. Always.

Shakespeare, I know that all of these questions hinge on the stories we tell ourselves in our own heads. Two people can be put in the same situation and feel completely differently about it. One positive, and one negative. I suppose that ultimately we have to take control of our own stories.

Kaye, and peace with being here as opposed to not being here. Connecting or not connecting. Gaining and losing.