‘Shelf ‘ – so many feelings and possibilities when you let this word settle in you. The great thing is with a word like this, is that it can take you to discover what you hadn’t felt or noticed before, or bring out something that is there to be noticed.
Where does the word ‘shelf’ take you? My first thought was about the ‘elf on the shelf’, that my grandchildren love, that brings life to the day, when they say ‘where are you today?’ Gives them another way to play!
Many expressions too, ‘being left on the shelf’ have emerged over time. I sometimes wonder the purpose of these expressions, and the impact they have on us as we travel through life.
Feel free to join in with this unique poetic expression approach we journey through each week. It’s more than the word, it’s where it leads us, it’s what arrives, it’s a gateway to what lies within, a time to share and feel free.
Feel free to pass this on, comment below, or join in each week.
The next word is ‘food’.
Hope to see you there.
Listen to Peter’s poem ‘shelf’ here.
Change a few positions
Of letters in a word
Shelf can become Self
Delete and add a couple more
And I will end up with Health
Self-Health to be explored
A chance to take stock
Knowing any questions that arise
May cause me discomfort
As I untangle my behaviours
It might lead me to surmise
My current state of mind
Is less than I desire
So with the power of reflection
There are meaningful steps I can take
As long as they are clothed with care
To be mindful of how easy it is to make mistakes
The dangers of self-doubt and deflection
That can create a blanket of self-deception
With its power to deny
An open pathway to perception
So I need to be brave and honest
Apply the answers I might find
To alter and improve my Self Health
So I can accept that I’m more than ready
To add it to my inner library shelf.
PJR 12.06.2023
Coming back from an over sees trip,
I was given a painting that I love,
with its naturally placed drips
My cousin’s creation, with Its unique foundation,
My connection to her, with the colours I adore.
Though we are miles apart,
From shore to shore
It sits next to the sign,
In a frame that says ‘be kind’
A reminder maybe
As I strive to be free
Next to a lamp
That creates an ambiance so warm
right through to my skin
And radiates deep within
Above the few books
That survived the ‘cull’
Really not certain how
They survived to now
Across from the printer
Now the pragmatist in me
I know why it’s there
They’re very handy don’t you agree?
While some of these things
Make my heart sing
Some are more like a blur
Like part of the furniture
They no longer have my undivided attention
Now looking out my window
Brings me my introspection
Less of the historic and still
More the adventure and thrill
Of the movement outside
Where the weather, ducks, and dogs reside
TLaB 19th June 2023
What would you like to put on your shelf?
A collection of your artworks?
Your favourite books?
Or your beloved family photos?
Me?
Hmm, I want to make my shelf a bit more special and fun.
What about having a wishlist for my future shelf?
For example,
A digital recipe creator that provides me with a weekly recipe plan based on my current body situation?
A simple one line of message for me to carry out for the whole day?
A music player that can play a tune according to my real time mental space?
A fun task for me to complete by the end of the day?
It has to be new and requires me to go out of my comfort zone a bit too.
Ah, maybe a diffuser that releases a different smell every single day to give me artistic inspiration?Till now, you might get the common theme of my shelf.
Yes, it’s about living well and experiencing new things based on the needs and wants of my real time.
It’s also about exploring my inner self.
Always staying in my comfort zone is nice,
but maybe a bit boring and wasting my potential too.
I don’t want that.
I just want to fly freely and become who I am supposed to be.
XQZ 19th June ’23
On a shelf of the mind I sit
Watching my world go by
Feel a bit lonely,
If only I knew why
Well, maybe it’s my time to stop
Savour wonderful memories
Don’t dwell on mistakes, mishaps or such
As I smile, caught up in remarkable thoughts
Of family, friends who were once strangers
I came upon a group
We have shared so much
Learnt a lot about myself
Their inspiration has given me
A confidence I may never have felt
Sitting here on that shelf, feeling privileged
Of special people and times
Wonderful thoughts of – remember when…
CCon 19th June, 2023