Along the way,
On this excursion of ours,
There is a need for measure,
An epicurean ability
Without which
The whole cavalcade
Is rendered no more than
A senseless orgy of beasts.
A greedy manic rush,
From room to room,
In the castle of your dreams.
So, each and every time
You are so visited,
Slowed and diverted
By selfless light and radiance,
Be sure to pause
And treat this happenstance
As the passing charm that it is.
Like the most precious
Of all hostages to keep safe,
To clasp close to your heart,
As you would a lover’s jewel.
To burnish
For just as long you can,
Before fate’s temporal denouement
Creeps in
And such joy is no more….
For such moments
Often melt away all too soon,
As if stolen from your soul,
Slipping through your fingers
Just as easily and prettily
As they were once found,
So fortuitously,
Like sparkling garnets in a stream
On the moated riverbed of life.
And, as any seeker,
However courageous,
Knows only too well,
An element of mishap
Is sometimes inevitable.
For the very capriciousness
Of the process is itself a mirror,
A key definer of the quality
Of the chances you are given.
And despite
Any such flux in fortune,
A material depth,
Not present before,
Gradually accrues,
As your burgeoning life,
With all its strands,
Its threads pulling together,
Slowly becomes
A marvellously rich book,
Steadily gathering folios and meaning.
So try your best
Neither to fret,
Nor be too ambitious
To ever notice such slips,
Because unexpected magic
Can often happen too,
Between such pages,
When, even briefly,
Disparate energies come together
That have never been aligned before.
And so bound,
Is the world illuminated,
Changed forever in an instant….
Beautiful dear Scott. (There may be a few torn edges in my life – but overall consider it a marvelously rich book.)
Thanks for you beautiful words and thoughts.
Anna :o]
I think this is my favorite of all your beautiful poems. Thank you. Fantastic.
Hola Scott,
I certainly travelled my life in your metaphorical poem. Our lives are writ on the pages of our book. Freshly and beautifully illustrated.
Gracias,
John
A profound poem!
An enriching poem, Scott! Indeed, Life is a book and each day are pages which teach us something or the other as we go through it. 🙂
Very nice as ever.Thank you!
Dear Scott, I liken life stories to a book of recipes, lovingly collected through hard work and experience, then cataloged by entree, savory or sweet, or sometimes just desserts. Each day brings a new menu to appease the palate and satiate the hunger for life.
VERY GOOD i ENJOYED READING THE POEM
I thoroughly enjoyed your poetry. It has a quiet sensuality that speaks volumes. Keep up the wonderful work.
Scott, this is just what I needed to read tonight after a horrendous day with a student. Thank you. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, my friend.
Pamela
Nice…i particularly like it as the hostage to be kept safe…pretty cool line that scott…there is good wisdom in this…
Another magnificent effort from the ever wonderful Scott Hastie!
This is lovely and yet deceptively deep. I loved the lines which state:
For such moments
Often melt away all too soon,
As if stolen from your soul,
Slipping through your fingers
Just as easily and prettily
As they were once found,
So fortuitously,
Like sparkling garnets in a stream
On the moated riverbed of life.
and then:
And despite
Any such flux in fortune,
A material depth,
Not present before,
Gradually accrues,
As your burgeoning life,
With all its strands,
Its threads pulling together,
Slowly becomes
A marvellously rich book,
Steadily gathering folios and meaning.
This asks us to look deep within at choices made, and then the subtle quality of what we want, versus what is hidden within. Which is of greater value? Do we take stock and lend merit to what is least understood of no monetary value or clasp tightly what will be naught tomorrow?
Richly said, Scott. Thank you…
~Elizabeth
“happenstance”…..a very beautiful word and used to describe a moment to cherish.
This is a wonderful poem yet again, Scott!
Jelka
Thanks for sharing your lovely poem.
How beautiful…
Excellent, Thank you:)
HELLO SCOTT I enjoyed both the poem and photo.. thanks
I so love the wisdom in “So each and every time
You are so visited,
Slowed and diverted
By selfless light and radiance,
Be sure to pause
And treat this happenstance
As the passing charm that it is.”
We forget in the hurly burly of life, that these moments are fleeting, and are to be cherished.
Oh, I do like the idea that unexpected magic can happen! I believe that as well….and have seen it with my own eyes.
Lovely counsel. Full of some timeless lines…
Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem.
Scott, your words never cease to touch upon heart and soul. The opening stanza set a wonderful tone attentive to the message in this piece…touching, inspired.
Beautiful as always Scott…., Love it.
Have a nice day.
Mei
Enchanting.. and bringing me joy to read Scott.
This is, for me, a timely reflection, Scott, as we get so tied up in too much fretting, too many items on our to-do lists at this time of the years. A wonderful invitation to pause and consider those moments of awareness.
I thought this was a very finely woven piece of lace. Fragile in its strength strong in its fragility. Beautifully written. >KB
A beautiful reminder to not let the world slip through our fingers…I am particularly fond of thinking of it as a hostage.
Well this made me feel better! Your writing always seems to speak to my heart and for that, I thank you profoundly!
The last stanza is wonderful, a perfect ending to this piece. 🙂
Thank you for the lovely thoughts ~ Cheers ~
Deep, delicate, and absolutely beautiful…one of your best, Scottie. :)) xo
Beautiful poem! Thank you for your kind words.
Here’s to those illuminated moments that frame all that is important and makes our lives worth living–may they never melt away too soon! A lovely and poignant piece. A gentle reminder to hold on to those special moments.
The most precious of hostages – oh Scott – love this stanza – the burnishing of moments – such a completely beautiful poem -K
The unexpected magic is the best… life has surely its ups and downs… and we better try to cherish the good moments before they’re gone…smiles
As I have come to expect, your words are again filled with truthful wisdom.
Lovely in sentiment and word. loved the bit about unexpected magic especially– Good words to hear in this season.
Thank you Scott. Your poetry is always so interesting.
Learning to let it be…thanks for the reminder. Peace, Jason
What a great read.I felt it was like having a conversation with a friend , sitting in two comfy chairs beside a roaring fire.
Your site is polished and professional. Distinctive. Poetry isn’t my strongest area, and I rarely review books of poetry, yet this doesn’t stop me from appreciating poetry like this. I hope you have a beautiful holiday season. All the best Julia
Ah! A beautiful poem on meeting and bonding on the walks of life…making memories, finding emotionaltreasures and above all always believing in blessed fortuitous happenstance. Yes, the magic of moments can never be taken for granted! Who knows what the next second might bring, but if we follow your beautiful thoughts here, Scott, we’ll certainly collect a bagful of garnet moments from amidst all the coarse pebbles strewn in our lives. Loved this poem.
Wise words beautifully expressed.
Commenting for the second time here, Scott! Profound words, worthy of deep thought. Happy Holidays to you!!
Life is full of unexpected magic and special moments to cherish. Lovely thoughts, Thank you.
Hmmmm… 🙂 I enjoyed the well written argument.
ZQ
We must all stay alert or chance to miss the magic in that book still to be written,
Elizabeth
Wise and very well-penned. Things in life have to be savored, these moments are but temporary and they will pass by just like that. I liked how you intended upon the preciousness of now, of every thing that is good. I also liked the similes of the third and fourth verses which aptly romanticize the theme.
‘As your burgeoning life,
With all its strands,
Its threads pulling together,
Slowly becomes
A marvellously rich book,
Steadily gathering folios and meaning.’…wonderfully put…
I like how you remind us to enjoy and savor the moment. If we do, magic can indeed happen!
Excellent writing!
Loved this!
An inspirational work, Scott. 🙂
A great reminder to cherish and be thankful for what we are given. Nice work Scott!
This really has a resonance with those of us piling up the years.
Ann
Scott,
Thank you for sharing this new poem. I have found that I am becoming quite a fan of your work. I do love the art of Poetry, but found only a handful that I enjoy reading. I have included you among them.
Dee
Hi Scott, this is a lovely poem. I especially liked this verse:
So try your best
Neither to fret,
Nor be too ambitious
To ever notice such slips,
Because unexpected magic
Can often happen too,
Between such pages,
When, even briefly,
Disparate energies come together
That have never been aligned before.
I certainly need to take note of the first three lines and try to keep perspective on things.
Kind Regards
Laura
Deep, rich and satisfying, Scott. As so many people wind themselves into a frenzy over something they don’t really believe in, its timely to remember that so often it is not the things we fret, plan and stress about that enrich our lives the most, but those accidents that life throws in our path which cause us to see/do things we never would have done otherwise.
Merry Christmas to you and yours – and a Happy New Year.
Very well written poesy, Scott sir… Replete with wisdom and profound sensitivity and an exquisite and articulate combination and fusion of great vocabulary. Spectacular job, Sir! Bless you…
Always keep up the good work!
With earnest regards
Neena
This morning, soon after I woke up, I was reading your poem “Along the way…” and it is so splendid, intuitive and has a profound play of words and ideas. As Aristotle says, beings with higher consciousness always reside in the realm of ideas and not settle cozily on circumlocution. Reading your poems irradiates your warmth, wisdom, and mystical aura… It inspires me a lot. I would like to send you a poem by my favorite poet, Rabindranath Tagore who has inspired me in my creative pursuit, after which its your poems which have inspired me to the same extent. It is Incredible!
Distant Time
I know not from what distant time
thou art ever coming nearer to meet me.
Thy sun and stars can never keep thee hidden from me for aye.
In many a morning and eve thy footsteps have been heard
and thy messenger has come within my heart and called me in secret.
I know not only why today my life is all astir,
and a feeling of tremulous joy is passing through my heart.
It is as if the time were come to wind up my work,
and I feel in the air a faint smell of thy sweet presence.
Unexpected magic! Nice!
Beautiful, engaging and delightful. Thanks Scott
Oh my how these words speak to me – as realisation of what has passed and where I am in life today. Life can turn on a sixpence, throw all your dreams up in an instance and yet from it if welcomed can come a richness which otherwise may never have been realised. Sometimes we need be still to realise we are not always in control of our destiny but we can welcome what comes our way and make the most of it… An enjoyable and thought provoking read.