Sunday, February 7, 2016

The Young Cartographer


“Daughter,” said my father,
“You will never leave these shores!”
He meant well, I know,
but in my mind I have already left.

Even now I watch him, a small cloaked figure
receding on the shoreline,
receding in the distance.
Even now, my pen draws out my coming voyage,
leaving a stark white wake
escorted by the screech of gulls
and the writhing coils of sea monsters,
and others must follow if they dare.

I stand upon the deck of my imaginings,
bracing myself against the squalls,
against the swell of green water,
against the wave-tossed billows,
against the unknown deeps
that are my surrounding charts.

My pen creates islands, whole continents,
archipelagos and inlets, which only exist
because I have drawn them.
My outstretched hands
span trackless oceans of parchment,
at last to sight a distant undiscovered shore.

Already I have made landfall,
already I am on that shore.
Even now, without leaving my study
I set out to discover this new and unknown land
which is myself.




Painting by Donato Giancola

16 comments:

  1. That is so beautiful siStar (((((( hugs ))))))

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    1. Thank you só much, I am so pleased that you enjoyed this poem... my dear siStar! Much love and a big hug.

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  2. This is fabulous Emma. I can just close my eyes and totally imagine this journey…opening my eyes once again with soaking wet clothing! This is now one of my favorites even though I keep saying that until the next one! The artwork is also stellar…couldn't be a better companion to your text.

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    1. Thank you, Deborah, I am so pleased that you could imagine the voyage so vividly. And it was the painting which inspired me to write the poem.

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  3. Thank you Emma for such an imaginative and creative poem! Your poem is likening the exploration of Self to the exploration of new lands. How fitting this is! The father's words hint at his fear of the unknown and lurking dangers, that we may find ourselves in a strange lands never to return home. But like past explorers we need a strong curiosity, a thirst to know the truth to overcome fear, and also we need much courage to leave the comfort of what we know to discover what is new, or what is ancient but yet to come into our awareness. Thank you for this wonderful poem, and bon voyage!

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    1. Joseph, your response to my poem moves me deeply. And how well you described what I had tried to convey. I believe that we are all on our own voyage and that this will carry us .. not just to new shores .. but to our eventual true home. ♥

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  4. From the first line, I was caught up in this tale of a woman's journey to her very heart of hearts. What beauty you write my friend, what beauty.

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    1. Thank you so much, dear Joss. Your words go straight to my own heart; and I am so grateful that in this part of our life we seem to journey parallel with each other. ♥

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  5. Wonderful! I find myself with you on that ship sailing into the adventure of the Self, blessings

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    1. I am grateful that you join me on this voyage, dear Hettienne! ♥

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  6. Beautiful poem that touched me to my core, Emma! It's reminiscent of my character Miriamne's thoughts and feelings - in my new novel, "Miriamne the Magdala" - as she prepares to embark on a new journey with Yeshua on the Silk Road, leaving her family and her ancestral home behind.

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    1. Thank you for your appreciation, Jeannie - and I wish you every success with your new book!

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  7. Hi Emma...so deeply beautiful..and it carries such a powerful and magical feeling. Thanks for sharing this moving and heart-touching piece..such a journey and symbolic on so many levels! Shine on!
    Victoria

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    1. Thank you, dear Victoria!! I'm always happy to see you ...

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