“Solitude is sweet, my friend,
But grant me still a friend in my retreat
To whom I may whisper,
‘Solitude is sweet’ "
I read this verse over ten years ago (and have forgotten the poet’s name since). And while I have moved from feeling alone-in-a-crowd to being a self-imposed loner, the poetry rings as true to my heart today as it did all those years ago. I suppose the heart oscillates between moments of sadness and joy, clarity and confusion… averaging around the happiness quotient that we allow ourselves guilt-free.
A pensive me from many years ago. Here is another verse that I am reminded of; one I wrote on anotherpensive Sunday afternoon a few years ago as I sat alone in a crowded café watching the world whir past me.
Little joys, perhaps,
Are being evened out by these
Little sadnesses that linger on. The ruins of my innocent heart…
Its funny - this tendency to create cyclical experiences, always returning to a mean. Richer, of course, but back to base camp for a much needed repose. A time to take stock, and start over. I suppose this verse that I read yesterday (at nvisible.com) brings a sense of meaning to these crazy ups and downs:
“When the tide is in, ride the wave
When the tide is out, collect the shells”