Sunday 30 January 2011

Loneliness

I don't like the feeling of loneliness, simply because it feels like a state of disconnection from myself and my environment. Whether you are sat alone in a coffee shop reading a book, or trailing through crowds of people at a shopping mall, it can catch you unawares. And it's that feeling of surprise that seems to take a hold.


Loneliness

Walking alongside my loneliness
The weeping willow nods in my direction
Its wintry tendrils, wave to a rythm of its own
Observing quietly and gently
The couple embrace sweetly,
unnoticed by the bridge
Their discreet veil of intimacy uncovered
A swan preens himself thoroughly
With an air of vanity
His feathers contrast brightly
Against the greyness of the sky
My body moves mechanically
Brushing, pushing and sweeping
Away at my mood
Trees rustle, water laps, birds caw...
By the time I have walked the full length of the serpentine
My colours are brighter
But my quiet companion is still there
In my wake


Lily Basnet

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Pleasure

The National Trust created a little book called 'Simple Pleasures,' filled with many different author's personal accounts of what they considered to be life's small pleasures. A vast array of things were mentioned such as experiencing the stretch of sands running from Ramsgate to Margate, lying in an indulgent hot bath (with a side of whisky and water!), being stuck on the train in the middle of nowhere, grooming the dog and many others. It was fascinating to read people's intimate accounts of what inspires them to take a few moments from everyday life and really soak it up. A soul-fulfilling vista. 'James Le Fanu' coined a beautiful phrase in his account 'the better to appreciate the exraordinary concealed behind the ordinary.'

Here are my personal top three simple pleasures:

1. One of the most captivating things I have ever seen in London is the starling roost over Battersea Bridge. Large groups of these birds circle in clever formations over and under the bridge. It is fascinating! It is like witnessing a choreographed ballet. I'm not sure why they do it and I used to think that they were practising migratory formations.

2. I love running in the rain, not just a light drizzle, but rain that soaks you to the skin, leaving puddles in your trainers and water collecting in your eyebrows. It is so invigorating. Very few things make you feel as alive. I remember running in the mountains of Hong Kong, along Bowen Road while a monsoon rain pounded down, with persistence.

3. I really enjoy spending quality time with my loved ones, even if it is just a cup of tea and a chat. There is something very special about being in the company of friends and family that accept you completely, flaws and all!


A Simple State

Lost to my moods
A maze, inside its distractions
How far I stumble, yearning for
its oddities to make some sense
Save for the sun on my face
And the birdsong not far off
I am struggling to comprehend
a lifetime of this state
If only I could fall
Put my arms out wide and lean
my back into the wind
Trust in its strength
Feel invigorated and peaceful all at once
What a perfect state that would be
Instead, of this frozen armour
I smile, testing out this new ideal
The sun on my face and the
birdsong not far off...

Lily Basnet

Thursday 20 January 2011

Heart

The heart wants what the heart wants...

We do not choose love, love chooses us. And when we fall for that special person and it is recipricated, there is no better feeling in the world. That warm, fuzzy feeling makes us feel connected, a part of something greater than ourselves, a part of our own love story. It is fragile, solid and ever-changing all at once.

One of my favourite love poems is by Ee Cummings (made famous by Cameron Diaz's movie 'In her Shoes'!) I include a small part of the poem below:

I Carry Your Heart with Me (I Carry it in my Heart)

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows 
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

I wrote the following for that special person in my life:


I Know You

I know you
The twinkle in your eye
Your eye without the twinkle
The words you say
The wisdom underneath
Your liking for logic
Expressions and sayings that
evolve through me
I know your hands
How special they are
Strong and rough
Hands that can be clumsy but
also incredibly gentle
I know your values and desires
Your need for freedom and then for closeness
Your struggles and your scars
Your appreciation for nature
And understanding of the balance of life
I know your hugs and kisses
How lucky I am
Your kiss tells a story good or bad
But mostly I know your heart
Its rhythm tuned to mine
Beats and pumps as one
May I always know your heart...


Lily Basnet

Saturday 15 January 2011

Tear

I have recently been inspired by the traditional 'haiku'- (a small Japanese poem consisting of three lines and usually, seventeen syllables.) The beauty lies in its ability to capture an intensely human moment, mood or insight with a certain clarity and poignancy that leaves one with a lasting impression. In Japan, Basho is one of the best loved poets, but I find some contemporary poets of haiku just as inspiring. Below, are a few of my favourites...

campfire extinguished
the woman washing dishes
in a pan of stars
(Raymond Roseliep)

dozing on horseback
smoke from the tea-fires
drifts to the moon
(Basho)

the old pond:
a frog jumps in
the sound of water
(Basho)

between the rocks
water the ocean
didn't take back
(Gary Hotham)

Reading Japanese poetry inspired the following poem:

Tear

A single tear
Tracks its path
Down her cheek
A stray tell
Non discreet
But hidden from most
Who is to know the burden of that single tear
and where it came from?

Lily Basnet

Friday 14 January 2011

Stuff

George Carlin, (a brilliant American stand-up comic) does a very funny piece about 'stuff.' He talks about how we are all trying to find a place for our stuff. Whether we are at home, looking for a bigger home (due to too much stuff), going away for a holiday or simply staying in somebody else's home. He mentions how our stuff is important to us, whereas other people's stuff is just crap! Ironically, he manages to take a trivial subject and from a different perspective, highlight our blatent attachment to material things.


Stuff

We move on.
All that's left is our physical imprint on the world.
Our stuff, pointless things.
Memories and attachments that live on only in our mind.
Whilst stuff disintegrates over time.
Soon everyone is forgotten.
And we were never here in the first place.

Lily Basnet

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Words

We all remember the old, childhood saying: 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.' The truth is that words spoken in the heat of the moment can stay with you for a lifetime. Few people are able to forget strong criticism, especially if it is delivered from the people closest to us. Ironically, words can highlight an issue deep within ourselves and the person communicating that message can be oblivious to its hurt. Our environment is a fluid, subjective reality mirroring our deep beliefs and issues straight back at us.


Your Words

The words you say
In a moment of heat
Are never forgotten
Dissected, analysed and replayed
Quietly smouldering and burning latently
They lie at the periphery of my consciousness
An opprobrium onto themselves
Replacing good thoughts and overwriting their positive deeds
Radiactive waste laid to rest
In the vast chasm of a mind
Where I have no choice but to pass by
At least once a day

Lily Basnet

Sunday 9 January 2011

Worth

One of the biggest questions I ever asked myself was 'what is my worth?' (loosely translated as, my life's purpose). Brought up into a family where I never felt a sense of belonging or connection, I remember staring through my bedroom window, hypnotised by a windy sky. If you stared at one particular cloud, your eyes were guided across the window until the cloud was mystically blown out of sight. I would stare at the clouds for what seemed like hours, seeing all kinds of creatures and shapes. And during this time, I would ask these questions to myself.



My Worth

As the day impresses its newness upon me
The sun's warmth drawing a smile from my lips
My disposition bright and untarnished
Where opportunities are within reach and visible to my touch
I am connected to the vast possibility; that is the Universe
Dynamically expanding and creating
through my own experience
I have everything before me
I am the lucky and the unfortunate
For my true purpose is known to me
And I will know who I am?


Lily Basnet