When I moved from one house to another
there were many things I had no room
for. What does one do? I rented a storage
space. And filled it. Years passed.
Occasionally I went there and looked in,
but nothing happened, not a single
twinge of the heart.
As I grew older the things I cared
about grew fewer, but were more
important. So one day I undid the lock
and called the trash man. He took
everything.
I felt like the little donkey when
his burden is finally lifted. Things!
Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful
fire! More room in your heart for love,
for the trees! For the birds who own
nothing – the reason they can fly.
— Mary Oliver
Art: "Autumn Melody", by Evgeny Mukovnin
Comments
Ohh this is beautifully writtenso much it made me weep,.. my foster father just before he passed away said;... Vlada you cant take anything from this planet with you to your next destination & life time, just as I' m doing now giving you some of my treasured collection of items before I leave you, my pleasures of music & guitars gained over the years, sell them if you wish or enjoy them for the frequencies they hold & feel when in your own hands, but know that when your gone someone else will get the same pleasure from them again. Collecting is a way to achieve "ownership" of certain things, because ownership is the most intimate relationship one can have to objects, collectors may collect things they feel "obliged" to have, not necessarily love to have. The act of collecting friends even may offer some "peripheral pleasures," such as interacting with the like-minded souls you feel are worthy of your time. Remember the desire to see one's friends grow is the one thing shared by all souls. Also, it is often impossible for anyone other than a collector to understand ones collection's importance...now I'm collecting my thoughts to share with you before I leave in the hope they will be of some peace to you or anyone else you wish to share them with..
Beautiful, Vlada. Very touching words..