Thursday, August 15, 2013

THE JOURNEY IS ONLY AS FAR AS IT NEEDS BE



THE FURTHEST TRIP IS OFTEN THE SHORTEST JOURNEY

A man can only count the cost of the reach of his arm in what
has been gained, never reached. In the love he failed to grip
graspingly reached for touched, but in the mind’s seas of storms lost.

Bearings and compass points get all turned around
on the slippery bridge deck heaving tossed in the travels
confusion reigns in wanting to find the one thing all are told
is needed, makes every seeker complete.

All hands to deck. set sail and move as close as you can;
steer her course to that hard found island called love,
the master commands. even though it be a known place
it is a hard to find oft’ times out of reach.

How many a desperate tear filled soul has been lost
searching longingly upon life’s squalling seas?
Painfully charting a course towards a
a love unknown never felt only to have to turn back
or perish afore the journey is ever complete?

The fortunate are few who find the straight current
and gentlest of breezes that takes them to that place
where home rests easily made in harmony, sweet honey lived.

But so many more only hear the old salty story
Go of traveling afar and never arrive safely to beach
comfortably within arm’s reach of that golden sand.
Not for lack of trying, only for lack trying to find that land,
but failing of understanding which always shortens the arms reach.

Every journey taken by the time death day’s come ultimately
has love as its final end. Yet few are set off well prepared
not knowing the land they seek is not traveled far at all from home,
but is close inside, held within quite easily within reached.

Before you scour the world over day upon day hour after hour,
look to the land within, the place of sand and sun inside your heart
then if you find no love there, you know you have a journey to start,
Yet before you go, make certain sure you have not already got
your souls singular heart’s desire, the love of man and God

© M Durfee
8/15/13

19 comments:

  1. For an island so large, why is it so hard to find?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Distractions Carleton. We get so wrapped up in the what if's and why me's that we forget seas are not always calm but are always navigable.

      Delete
  2. It seems to me (especially because I have spent most of my life loving and nurturing children), that love of man and God is only possible when there is inside a sense of one's own worth. Those who truly love others recognize the divinity of all creation, and this gift of love is given by someone who loved the child.

    Of course, I know there are exceptions, but learning to love oneself is much easier if someone else first valued and loved us. Otherwise, the journey is long and the seas may be rough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it would be much easier karen if all grew up in a balanced environment, an environment that is slipping away from us for this modern age that began just post WWII.

      Delete
  3. dude...this is full of little koans...starting with that first line throughout....made me think of all those things we reach for only to grace it with our fingertips....the slippery slope of that deck...love the look to the land within as well....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At first it is all a riddle Brian but the more you travel the more the answers find the questions as opposed to questions seeking answers.

      Delete
  4. Lana and I were talking last night about all the places we'd like to go. I didn't really think of those internal lands, although I've explored them quite well in some areas. There are still places to travel there, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Know ye not that the kingdom of heaven is within you---that is the way the Christian book says it Charles but all of the rest say it as well in different forms. The journey in fact may just be the reward.

      Delete
  5. Wow. Gets me righ where I live.
    ...But if we cold only see ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see myself Ivan, scars, pimples and all and you know what it's all good.

      Delete
  6. P.S:

    Mark,

    I wanna republish this in "Newmarket, What's Happening." OK?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Growing up I did not have a "regular" family. But I kept returning to this older farmer couple as a kid ... they loved me into the person that I am now ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MeowMom--you got a chance young to choose your family. Never does blood dictate more than genetics and if you do not happen to like your family or they you then al you need to know of them is their genetic maladies so you can watch for them. Family is them who as Karen said taught you to love yourself first.

      Delete
  8. "life goes on within you and without you"
    It's all I can say here.
    Thanks, Mr. McCartney . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True enoug Goat man, life is within you and it is all around you but it also will move on without you. That is why every moment is a possibility to savor it.

      Delete
  9. Nice! We may think we can control the ship but we can never control the winds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeff it is wise to keep a hand near the tiller sometimes we can tack into the wind and it will still move us forward.

      Delete
  10. The sea imagery in this is powerful. I think it's those broadside waves that make the most damage in my life. I'm rocked by them. And once they come, it's either go on a run or head into them. Thanks for this one, Mark. It hits close to home.

    ReplyDelete

So Walking Man I was thinking...