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Quitting
Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 11:44PM 
My dress, made of the shaved leaves of bark
is on display
behind glass.
Like a relic,
I donated it to that place when I made the decision that I am
quitting.
I am quitting blending the pulp.
Tired of mashing the fibers into coats of moments.
I am quitting the relentless frustration of
hoping to to be reflected in someone else's eyes.
The sitting in place and willing affect.
I am quitting rolling my palms across your spine hoping
transfixed on a spark of recognition.
I am quitting.
I am going to stop staring and walking in place.
I will now begin mixing the ingredients, turning the gears, sowing, growing and
building wholeness.
I will never wear that paper dress again,
I realized after all these years,
it's too easy to set on fire...so
I am quitting the waiting to be burnt.
Quitting means,
I can call it finished...
even if unresolved.
Quitting means I can stop and
be here in this moment un-tethered to your expectations.
I am done.
http://sundayscribblings.blogspot.com/
Amarettogirl
Reader Comments (16)
Wow -- both the dress and the poem are stunning! I especially liked the line about mashing fibers into coats of moments. Clearly, you've found many ways to create beauty in your life. You are wise to know when it's time to explore something new.
What an image! And what a great response to it. Really wonderful.
A very powerful image. Profound.
Wonderful. I am especially enthralled with the line, "I can call it finished...
even if unresolved."
it doesn't matter if you quit before you finished it, still it's not finish. but no use, for you to keep doing it, if you didn't want to.
"I am quitting the waiting to be burnt" resonates with me. We reacted somehow similar to the prompt, your post much more beautiful in its content. Did you make the dress? I will have to send you a pic of the dress I made... I think creative people are faced with "quitting" as renew on a daily basis, don't you think. Sweet of you to miss me, I have been visiting, but I have been quiet.
Wow, this is stunning. Thank you for your comment on my blog. I am glad you did because I am enjoying yours.
agreed; both are truly amazing; she is more angelic then ghostly
Man, that's strong. I can relate and yet at the same time, I'm curious about this paper dress... I want to know more even though what I learn may not reflect prettily onto myself.
Thanks for visiting this week! I hope you'll be back.
That's very interesting, you can end it even if it is unresolved. That must feel good, even if just a little bit :)
Very nice image and poem. I love the tactile descriptions you placed in the poem. I felt like my hands were the hands in the poem. Nice work.
it is stunning, I agree but I can't help but seeing an artist quitting more than...well, I see an artisan who has decided not to have children. To quit creation, to step away into other territory. well, thank-you for making me think, reflect and read this powerful poem more than a handful of times.
Amazing haunting picture. I like the phrase of quitting so you can be in this moment un-tethered by expectations.
very powerful words. Beautifully done.
Gorgeous image and words, crikey, how clever you are!
"I will never wear that paper dress again,
I realized after all these years,
it's too easy to set on fire...so
I am quitting the waiting to be burnt."
my favorite stanza, amazing, as usual.
<3