What Do You See? Wings!

blogging, challenge, creative writing, poetry, prompt, writing, , , , 25 Comments

I used to think that the relentless ache between my shoulder blades
was from missing wings.

We are meant to be angels on earth, I believed.

And then, I forgot, so caught up in the details of life, consumed with ambition, and then facing the daily struggle of chronic illness.

Until  I saw this image.

Oh, I know it is just a leaf,
dried and disintegrating, barely holding it together.
But is it not also wings?  Look how it’s outline forms a heart;
how intricately its surface is woven, like lace.

My wings would look like this – delicately held together, damaged beyond flight, but not so frail that I cannot still don them, remember my essence, recommit
to a life of service.

Nature holds secrets –
reminders of our purpose –
calling us to serve.

(Willow Poetry offers a weekly challenge: What Do You See?  The featured image is this week’s prompt.  Photo credit:  Hélène Vaillant)

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Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

25 thoughts on “What Do You See? Wings!”

  2. Pingback: What do you See? Round-up (Sept/04/2018) | Willow Poetry

  3. Lovely, lovely poem, reflection and photo. My wings have also taken a battering but I do believe one of life’s meaningful flights is the opportunity to be of service – to help repair the world. Thanks for reminding me.

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  5. Beautiful – the image, and your associations. I can definitely see wings. And now that I’m thinking about wings, there is indeed a sensation of something missing between my shoulders. Perhaps we shed our wings back when we decided we needed to be clothed? Or perhaps our clothing obsession is to cover the missing wings?

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  6. Thank you for these words of wisdom V.J. Yes, we are meant to be angels on earth. I do believe we do have wings when we allow ourselves to be free of all that weighs us down. Our journey is a struggle uphill, our wings will get us there no matter how fragile they are, they serve us abundantly.

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      3. So sorry that you have lost a lot with this disease. With every loss I have had, it takes me awhile to find the good things that it has lead me to. So difficult to let go what we use to have that is no longer available to us.

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