FootprintsintheWind.com

We can only ever find vestiges of ourselves—as we were, as we imagine ourselves to be, or to come to be.

:- Doug.

Footprints in the Wind^sm # 2397

Frankl pointed to prisoners in the camps who became worthy of their suffering. Can you point to when you, together, became worthy of your wrestling with this conversation?

Please pass it on.

© c 2024, Learning Works, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Easy reprint permissions: 574/274-5353, or by e-mail to mailto:Footprints AT FootprintsInTheWind.com. Back issues available at http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com

There is more grief in our world than we allow. Every loss—death or other removal of spouse, child, parent—even to the small angers over losing an argument (our belief in our justice) or a frustrating day (it’s not fair!), or a minor betrayal by a friend—every loss leads us to grieve. So, one function of conversation is to demonstrate our need of others to help us find and ripen our vulnerability.

:- Doug.

Ripen with me
in our conversation

:- Doug.

We first meet loss, I surmise, in childhood. Here there is a wound Mother’s kiss cannot make better. Or maybe there is an injustice. An inconsequential story: In school I was asked to write a question about food groups. I wrote a question, “How many?” and answered “7.” The teacher took my question mark as a “2” and so my answer as “27,” making it wrong. How unfair! So loss grows as big as an implacable teacher.

:- Doug.

This was a full hour, early in my soul’s wakening.

:- Doug.

What would full-throated conversation be?

:- Doug.

Our conversations
can be more
imaginative!

:- Doug.

If we were to create a ritual for a conversation (nb: a particular conversation), what would it contain? What do we want it to do? What spirits call in? What if a conversation were a prayer?

:- Doug.

What do
the ears
of the skin?

:- Doug.

Footprints in the Wind^sm # 2396

Drink in these miracles of conversation: First that living beings exist. Second that these know others like them exist. Third that living beings want to sink into one another.

Please pass it on.

© c 2024, Learning Works, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Easy reprint permissions: 574/274-5353, or by e-mail to mailto:Footprints AT FootprintsInTheWind.com. Back issues available at http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com

Momentarily filled
in conversation
Accept
—gift
—responsibility

:- Doug.

Conversation is growing
a garden of flowers
tending each other

:- Doug.

If I am sitting at my desk writing away
If the artist is painting away
If the meat cutter is cutting away
If the sleeper is snoozing away
If you are thinking about it, what’s your question?

:- Doug.

Stay near for
Something you will want to hear
Someone you will want to meet

:- Doug.

In spring:
We are pieces
In our life’s puzzle
Leaves fall:
Strange
How new people
Fit

:- Doug.

Find the images
Compress them
Till they yield oils

:- Doug.

Footprints in the Wind^sm # 2395

A child’s giggles
Soften my face

Please pass it on.

© c 2024, Learning Works, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Easy reprint permissions: 574/274-5353, or by e-mail to mailto:Footprints AT FootprintsInTheWind.com. Back issues available at http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com

With sorrows
He too
Goes your way

:- Doug.

Writing poetry is making
me
and this as well:
conversing is making
us making us

:- Doug.

Remove the lessons
lighter, lighter
so the poem may

:- Doug.

Have I grown from writing
This book? Each poem?
Has this conversing
Yet
Edited me?

:- Doug.

What I do
To receive you as like me
Is doing that matters

:- Doug.