Meditation on Empty
In that gentle space above his left eyebrow,
I focus on the emptiness,
how emptiness is not empty.I fill my empty cup with ginger-mint tea.
Cut yellow roses for the empty vase.
Invite friends to fill the empty table.My hand opens, then closes slightly
holding your pinky finger, tiny and delicate.
I’ll rock you until this pain subsides.We sit together like lotus, open hands
to the Abba Father, breathe the warm
body scents that fill the empty room.
–Margaret Simon, all rights reserved
I brought yellow roses to the writing retreat because I looked up colors of roses and their meanings, and yellow roses are for friendship and new beginnings. Then among writing friends, I polished this poem and read it for our sharing time. I’m not sure if you need to know what the poem means. It will mean what you need at the moment. For me, it’s about friends and opening myself up to being filled every day.
I love that you ‘filled’ the space instead of the original sense of ’empty’ Margaret. The words can be true, if only we allow them to be, right?
Filling the space like you fill your days, slicing and dicing.
This is a lovely and haunting poem, Margaret – it has a sense of being at peace with oneself inspite of the “empty”.
Peace, yes, that’s it. But also love. Thanks.
I love what you said: ” It will mean what you need at the moment.” Isn’t that what art is all about? Beautiful poem!
I never know how anyone may interpret my poems. Like art, it is all in the eyes of the beholder. Thanks.
Your words are beautiful Margaret. “Emptiness is not empty” is my favorite phrase.
Thanks. This came from an exercise in staring at someone for 2 minutes.
Each stanza holds it’s own story. Interesting significance to yellow roses.
Thanks for creating a poem from my post. What a treat for me!
Lovely, as always, Margaret. Your writing inspires.