Calling all detectives...

Does anyone know who the artist is of this picture?

This is the place...

This is the place where my love and I went out on a 4th date.
It was the weekend that changed my path and placed me onto the one that I walk now.


We had been out for dinner, a BBQ round his house and the cinema, but this was the weekend that I returned from a weekend with friends in the South of France and met him for a drink down by the river where we now live. He had returned from a weekend paragliding with friends and was noticeably lobster-like red from the sun.

He picked me up after a few cajoling texts. I was certainly pursued in those early days and treasure every memory we have together of those times.

We drove down to the river and we showed each other photos of our weekend and whiled the Sunday evening away talking and drinking my the river. It was one of those moments where things can go one way or another. I could have chosen to say no to that evening, after all, I was already tired from the weekend away.
But I chose to say yes. I chose to live.

In the two years that have passed I have grown to love this man.
He's not perfect, but neither am I.
He has many imperfections, as do I.
But when I look into his blue eyes and run my fingers through his golden hair, I am happy.
He has a good heart and so do I.

Staying Awake

Its 12.30am and my eyes are tired.
I am doing everything I possibly can to stay awake.
I may have pushed through the sleep barrier, which means I will have trouble sleeping later.
It doesn't matter though.
I want to be awake when my love walks through the door.
I want to see his eyes and kiss his lips and breathe again.
All week I have been holding my breath.
Its been a long few weeks.

They say that absence makes the heart grows stronger.
I think it depends what you are doing in that absence.

Being involved has helped.
Having a regular text update of how he was and how his competition was going on, really helped.
He is notorious for being a goldfish. Last time I went away, I stuck messages on mirrors, kitchen cupboards and all around the bedroom to remind him to text me. He has a self confessed 'Goldfish syndrome'. But this time, he has really pulled it out of the bag.
I think it has contributed to pulling me out of my insanity fruitcake.
He's even good at that without being in the same country and without knowing what's gone on.
Now that's a gift!

Keeping very busy has also helped.
Having a 'week to myself', where Ive been on many courses, enjoyed laughter and a bottle or two with friends has been good for my soul.
Ive also done things I really wanted to do and taken a step back to reboot and take stock.
Now I can see what needs to be done
4 weeks till my run...whoops I didn't realise that until now.
I watched the movie 'Fat Boy Run' this evening and it has re-inspired me to get out there and train.
6 weeks till I leave my job.
7 weeks till I complete my Bridesmaid Duties
7-9 weeks till our Adventure Begins!

Its nearly 1am and its now officially Monday Morning, and waiting in the half light is like waiting for midnight on Christmas eve...

Si tú no vuelves

Si tú no vuelves
se secarán todos los mares
y esperaré sin ti
tapiado al fondo de algún recuerdo

Si tú no vuelves
mi voluntad se hará paqueña...
Me quedaré aquí
junto a mi perro espiando horizontes

Si tú no vuelves
no quedarán más que desiertos
y escucharé por si
algún latido le queda a ésta tierra

Que era tan serena
cuando me querías
habia un perfume fresco que yo respiraba
era tan bonita, era así de grande
no tenía fin...

Y cada noche vendrá una estrella
a hacerme compañía
que te cuente cómo estoy
y sepas lo que hay
Dime amor, amor, amor
estoy aqui ¿no ves?
Si no vuelves no habrá vida
no sé lo que haré

Si tú no vuelves
no habrá esperanza ni habrá nada
Caminaré sin tí
con mi tristeza bebiendo lluvia

Miguel Bose

Solo pienso en ti

Ella fue a nacer
En una fria Sala de hospital
Cuando via la luz
Su frente se quebro como cristal

Porque entre los dedos a su padre
Como un pez se le escurrio
hace un mes cumplio los 26
Solo pienso en ti

Hey, solo pienso en ti
Juntos de la mano
Se les ve por el jardin
No puede haber nadie
en este mundo tan feliz
Hey, solo pienso en ti

El nacio de pie
Le fueron a parir entre algodon
Su padre penso
Que aquello era un castigo del senor

Le busco un lugar
Para olvidarlo
Y siendo nino lo interno
Pronto cumplira los 33
Solo pienso en ti

En el comedor
Se sientan seperados a corner
Si me miran bien
Les corren mil hormigas por los pies

Ella le regala alguna flor
Y el le dibuja en un papel
Algo parecido a un corazon
Solo pienso en ti

Victor Manuel

What is happiness?

What is happiness?
Lying in the the arms in the the person you love.
Breathing in their scent.
Knowing you are safe.

What is happiness?
Making up with the person who reflects your history.
Feeling that they accept you no matter what.
Knowing that you share times that no one can replace.

What is happiness?
Dancing to your favourite songs even though no one is looking.
Wearing your favourite shoes that will always fit you.
Knowing that you can return to them.

What is happiness?
Leaving your past so that you can begin your future.
Beginning new ventures that you started long along.
Knowing that all will be well.

What is happiness?
Singing from the very heart of your soul.
Dipping your toes in the lake of joy.
Knowing that it opens up who you are.

What is happiness?
Being yourself and being honest to who you are.
Finding yourself after losing it for a while.
Knowing that you are you and no one else.

What is happiness?
Lying in the the arms in the the person you love.
Breathing in their scent.
Knowing you are safe.

A Reading from Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, irrational and self centred.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

Struggles within the safety of the coconut haven

Its been an interesting two weeks.

Its not that I have lost my words, its just that I have hidden them.
'Too much rain washing away experience, I must remember summer'
If I could find that poem, it would probably make more sense...believe me I have tried. But the evidence is in one of my journals and its up in the loft, and its too late and dark to go there now.

I have experienced the very lows over the past two weeks and I am swimming in the aftermath. I have blown up bridges, which were my choice, and I have retreated to the safe haven of the coconut, I have chosen to silence my voice. I stopped singing. Or rather I chose not to sing, which is a different matter altogether.

Of course, I know the reasons. I live the reasons. How I live the reasons!

Its my greatest problem. I remember the past.
I remember what it was like to walk in sadness.
I remember what it was like to cry tears that would not stop.
I remember what it was like to drink into oblivion.
I remember what it was like to be hurt.

Have I changed?
I have walked the paths of my past in the last few weeks and know that I have.
I am better at rebuilding than before.
I am better at giving myself permission to crumble so that I can start again.
I am better at asking myself questions and answering them with much more confidence.
Have I changed? Immensely.

I know what it was like to walk in darkness.
I know what it was like to feel pain without evidence.
I know what it was like to feel numb.

And even after all that pain, I survived.
I survived to write it down and share it.
I lived it.
I walked it.
I arrived here.

My life could have been so different I know.
What I thought was meant to be wasn't.
What I thought should have been wasn't.
And I am glad for that. Because what I received instead was a million times better than I had previously thought I wanted.

I know what its like to face your demons every single day.
Every single day to meet your demon and have to grin and bear it.
Its not easy, believe me, its not easy.
But after a while, it gets easier.

Have I forgiven? I have tried.
There are times I feel it more than others.
Do I wish I could say the words? Perhaps.
I don't think they would make any difference now.
Although I am still me, I am different than before.
I am stronger.

And so, in the safe haven of the coconut I have been.
I have poked my head out from time to time to smell the fresh air and then retreated hastily back into myself. Back into the world I created to help me mend, to help me rebuild.

Every time I do this, I emerge stronger.
Will I ever stop? Probably not.
But I know that I love.
And for now, that is my shield.
And with my shield, I can emerge again.
The Coconut Butterfly.

Persian poet and philosopher Rumi wrote:

You were born with potential.

You were born with goodness and trust.

You were born with ideals and dreams.

You were born with greatness.

You were born with wings.

You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.

You have wings.

Learn to use them and fly.


http://tinybuddha.com/

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster,

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three beloved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

-- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) a disaster.

Elizabeth Bishop

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;
and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)
i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

The Life That I Have...

The life that I have
is all that I have.
And the life that I have is yours.
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause.
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours


Leo Marks
1920 – 2001
Photo courtesy by Sam Mugraby (Photos8.com)

Ache

Is is possible to feel an ache in your heart?
I think I have one.
Its like a sigh without a breath.
I am missing a part of me.

Awakening Words

My words are awakening, but my thoughts do not sleep.

A People Place

If this is not a place where tears are understood,

Where do I go to cry?

If this in not a place where my spirits can take wing,

Where do I go to fly?

If this is not a place where my questions can be asked,

Where do I go to seek?

If this is not a place where feelings can be heard,

Where do I go to speak?

If this is not a place where you’ll accept me as I am,

Where can I go to be?

If this is not a place where I can try to learn and grow,

Where can I just be me?

William J. Crockett

My Love...

And When I Go Away
I Know My Heart Can Stay With My Love
It's Understood
It's In The Hands Of My Love
And My Love Does It Good
Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo
My Love Does It Good

And When The Cupboards Bare
I'll Still Find Something There With My Love
It's Understood
It's Everywhere With My Love
And My Love Does It Good
Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo
My Love Does It Good

I Love Oh Wo......My Love
Only My Love Holds The Other Key To Me
Oh....My Love Oh...My Love
Only My Love Does It Good To Me
Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo
My Love Does It Good

Don't Ever Ask Me Why I Never Say Goodbye To My Love
It's Understood
It's Everywhere With My Love
And My Love Does It Good
Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo
My Love Does It Good
Oh....My Love Oh...My Love
Only My Love Does It Good To Me
Wo..................

Lyrics by Paul McCartney

Home with the Family

It's interesting how pictures and photos reach where words cant.

My words are asleep for now.

My Pictures and Photos are what I have until they awake.