Like Etchings In Stone

Magpie #90

"May you live all the days of your life."  ~Jonathan Swift

 

I learned early the power of what we give and take in this life, and the weight of what we leave behind. It can be a heavy burden whether it be plenty or it be brief.  Having lost both my parents by the time I was 29, and my only sibling before I was 40, I know all too well how important it is to make every second count.   Regret is a heavy burden to pass down as a keep sake, and sadly I have held it within my hands more than once.

It was in that loss that I found both comfort and liberty in writing.  Through poetry and the written word, I discovered a way to capture those feelings and lessons learned in a way that could be passed down from generation to generation.  Like etchings in stone, the written word surpasses the power of time's decay, giving forth more than just a glimpse of days gone by.  It is like taking a piece of someone's life and preserving it in word.  Everything that we do in this life leaves a mark in some way.  Like etchings in stone at a cemetary that states our name and the years of our life, I want my words to leave a mark as well.  Something more than just a faded memory, or torn quilt.  My desire is to give a piece of myself through my words to the ones I love, to leave behind something substantial that my grandchildren and their children can hold dear.