She By Ginny Gaura - Solid Background

Title

She By Ginny Gaura - Solid Background

Artist

Ginny Gaura

Medium

Digital Art - Digital Art

Description

"She" was a poem that I wrote in the '90s and is published in my poetry book, Fever and Forgotten Wings. (Available on Amazon.)

"She" is about the process of Awakening, when everything that you were taught to believe in childhood no longer has meaning. At this point, people sometimes feel that they are going insane, when in fact, it is quite the opposite, they are becoming more aware of the expansiveness of reality.

The poem questions society norms, encouraging readers to reflect upon their own beliefs through meditation and engaging in nature. It is through our inner life that we begin to understand what truth really is, how we are all part of one another. It is the poet's wish that readers meditate in nature as this is a way to self-realization. The poem strives to bring people into unity, leaving the worn-out beliefs of separation behind.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

She
by Ginny Gaura

it was November and it was cold,
and the wind blew the garments that she wore.
she was alone and thought she wanted it that way.
no one could understand…
no one could realize…

the pain of existence bit at her each day
but the biting winds were comforting now.
the winds of Thor were blowing cold…
she laughed at the line she loved from a familiar song.

she always laughed out loud at private sentiments
which few would understand.
they would never believe if…

she stood long in the forest which she called her own,
for the winds there spoke to her,
for the trees there called her name.
she shook her head and sighed
remembering times she had told others
about the talking trees.
the blank stares…
the looks of disbelief…

and yet there were times, too numerous to mention,
when she questioned it all herself.
insane… she thought,
her single fault was that she thought too much,
she bit her lip wondering about insanity.
to her, to someone who felt going insane
would solve her problems,
she knew the insane had touched something greater.
gone too far, much too far…
but maybe they understand – maybe not consciously,
maybe the facts are twisted inside out –
but on some level
they know…
they know…

society makes us insane…
she thought as she took her hands from her pockets
and stared at the dry skin.
society gives us a choice…
do your job, don’t question, don’t make waves,
try to find happiness in your work
or go insane within yourself…

the ones who protest – they are labeled crazy.

onward she walks in the woods,
hugging trees as she goes,
feeling their energy intermixing, intertwining
with hers.
she listens as they speak, in a language of echoes,
of ancient memories.
they remember a time when man did not chop down
living trees.
she leans back on an oak and thinks that
Christmas is coming and many trees will die,
an old Pagan tradition twisted inside out by
Retailers, those great gods of material possessions…

she thinks about the old ways, the single Yule log
burnt to celebrate the longest night,
now cut down as an entire tree,
reduced to a mere home decoration.
she shakes her head, she knows much, far too much,
and the pain of knowledge burns.

yet she clings to the pain by doing nothing.
they will never understand…
never understand…
never…

the ones who said “never” never made a difference.
the ones who stood in the face of fear changed the world.

but the world is not ready, she tells herself.
and neither am I…

she sits down on the damp earth
and the coldness makes her shiver.
she looks at the cars in the parking lot,
warm engines running, warm people idling,
guided to this forest by the offering of tranquility.
trying to connect with nature…
in their cars…

she must appear insane to them, hugging trees as she goes,
touching the frozen earth with ungloved hands,
grounding her Self to her Mother.
but they do not know…
they do not know…
her mind flies back to another time,
when another with another face,
said similar words in prayer.

the world has not changed…
most of humanity is still living without knowledge…
they close their eyes, cover their ears
from the truth…
let them who have eyes, see…
let them who have ears, hear…
still they choose to live in denial for it is safe and comforting…

let them, she says, let them.
let them? an old oak answers back,
and let them continue to destroy themselves
along with everything in their path?
she sits against the tree and sends it her thoughts.
I know much about self-destruction…
I am a master of it…
but was that destruction all your own or was it caused
by the society in which you now live?
she frames the answer in her mind.
both…
in reaction…
so does the Earth also work, in reaction, said the oak.
she smiles as the winds twirl around her,
for deep inside she already knew that.

she thanks the oak for its knowledge,
she thanks the forest for its love,
and as she turns to go,
the wind whispers to her,
Mother, Sister, Daughter…


Digital art image and poem Copyright by Ginny Gaura. All Rights Reserved. Art or poem may not be used or reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist. You may post this online only with a link back to this page.

Fine Art America watermark will not appear on your finished print.

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November 17th, 2015

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