A poem that reminds...

"Casablanca" Lilly from my garden, summer, 2009

I want to share this poem with you. Once again I've chosen from David Whyte's collection called "River Flow." I love this particular poem, to me, it stands out. His words speak of authenticity, of how to take the first, sometimes painful first steps to following the heart.

Rhythmically he pulls the reader's focus in with repeating the words "start close in" and "start."

His urging is gentle, but sure. He doesn't suggest climbing a whole mountain at once, instead, he shares wise words with us,..."Start close in, don't take the second step or the third..."

I am reminded of the task I have given myself, to write everyday for a year about "love" and the many forms it takes in this life, and I wonder at times, if its possible for me to do. When I read this poem over, its a meditation that helps me focus on just the here and now, and reminds me to "start close in..."

START CLOSE IN

David Whyte

Start close In,

don't take the second step

or the third,

start with the first

thing

close in,

the step

you don't want to take.

Start with

the ground

you know,

the pale ground

beneath your feet,

your own

way of starting

the conversation.

Start with your own

question,

give up on other

people's questions,

don't let them

smother something

simple.

To find

another's voice,

follow

your own voice,

wait until

that voice

becomes a

private ear

listening

to another.

Start right now

take a small step

you can call your own

don't follow

someone else's

heroics, be humble

and focused,

start close in,

don't mistake

that other

for your own.

Start close in,

don't take

the second step

or the third,

start with the first

thing

close in,

the step

you don't want to take.