CHALLENGING THE VOID (photomorph) & THE ECHOING HOLLOW (non-dream tanka pair) by Roswila

THE ECHOING HOLLOW

all that comes to it,
goes, for no matter how much fills
the void all spills out;
and this emptiness, despite all the struggle
to deny or disguise it, still informs the soul

why not try living
openly with it -- nothing then to trip
over or get wrong:
nothing’s there, and life will come and go,
come and go, around the echoing hollow


[non-dream tanka pair written 1-26-20. This one’s so fresh it probably has fingerprints on it. (And is no great shakes...) I was just sitting on our library balcony in the bright sunlight. Not quite dozing but not quite fully awake. It comes out of something that hit me very hard last night: I never have been who I thought I was, and am not becoming who I work to be, yet I will be who I will be. It really increased my sense of an essential emptiness to realize that as much as I’ve been discovering who I was (and not liking myself much at all) those memories and perceptions are as made up as any fairy tale: there’s no “me” back there, nor even here. And how at some profound level I’ve always known that and tried to fill that vacuum, one way or another. (My food issues are a primary example.) Now I’m facing the idea of simply (!) tolerating that void. And this tanka pair reflects that thought. BTW, not particularly happy with the teaching tone of this pair. But couldn't figure a way around it and I do tend to speak to myself this way. LOL. Just had the thought all this is just more fuss by that self who isn't there. Photomorph “Challenging the Void” (9-6-14 002v7[2]) by Roswila; this is an old pic of mine that I've fudged with a lot over the years of a Ganesh figurine. One of Ganesh's titles is "Remover of Obstacles" and given this tanka pair, that can be taken a couple of different ways. Oh my, I just now recalled a prayer I wrote to Ganesh many years ago, asking Him to move me out of my own way! Well, an old expression applies here: Watch what you wish for, you just might get it.]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant or contrasting aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

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until next time, keep dreaming,





[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.