self-portrait


Self-Portrait
David Whyte

It doesn’t interest me if there is one God
Or many gods.
I want to know if you belong or feel
Abandoned.

If you know despair or can feel it in others.
I want to know
If you are prepared to live in the world
With its harsh need
To change you. If you can look back
With firm eyes
Saying this is where I stand. I want to know
If you know
How to melt into that fierce heat of living
Falling toward
The center of your longing. I want to know
If you are willing
To live, day by day, with the consequence of love
And the bitter
Unwanted passion of your sure defeat.

I have heard, in that fierce embrace, even
The gods speak of God.

I came across this poem by David Whyte this morning. The poem speaks of a steadfastness within. Something we hold on to when everything around us is uncertain and chaotic.

We are defeated, Whyte says, by love and also by fate. We will be slowly or quickly broken on the wheel of time, by life and by the living of it.

So the question is: when everything falls apart, when love goes wrong, when hopes are dashed, when dreams are broken; where do you go and what do you hold on to?

David Whyte

Published by

justme

I'm a woman living in London and this blog captures what lands within my sight and connects with my psyche. I expect it to evolve naturally. It is a place I shall visit from time to time and where things that I am touched by deeply will find a soft place to land. As a psychotherapist and a continuing student, most of the articles you shall find here will somehow, in some way, be related to therapy and well-being. I love comments, so feel free to add yours, whenever and however. I wish you well.

10 thoughts on “self-portrait”

  1. Good questions. Where do we find that inner strength? Close, friends, god, or embracing the things that make us personally happy, Whatever it is, we cannot just lean on ourselves.

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      1. Reasonable. We all look for dependability, especially when we’re lost. Something we can rely on is always comforting. We never like to misplace our trust.

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      1. I tend to think we gather strength form all the above, but ultimately it always comes back to it being an intensely personal thing. I also draw comfort from writing, I think it purges the soul. Nothing like sounding out your emotions, and I find that writing is a quiet way to release.

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      3. This blog of mine for instance has been wonderful in connecting with people all around the world and I am liking it very much!

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