reflections on a friendship I still desire...

[Pendragon]

It has been said of me
And sadly, it is very true,
That you do not want to make me angry.
You wouldn’t like me, when I’m angry.

Those words describe The Incredible Hulk,
And speak of the horrible transformation
And then the vast amount of damage,
Plus the problem of stopping him.

Have you ever heard someone describe a “whiteout?”
It’s not pretty.
It’s where you grow so angry your brain shuts off
And you have no control over what happens next.
I haven’t had one in years, thank God.

But I have been pulled from nearly killing,
I have put people in the hospital.
I have destroyed property.
I have taken full hits from things that should have killed me.
They didn’t even slow me down.

But it seems I can make one guy upset.
I thought no wrong, I meant no wrong.
I apologized by PM.
But now, my poetry goes ignored pretty much.
How sharper than a Raven’s beak is a lost friend…

Pen

[SleepyWitch]

Have you ever heard someone describe a “whiteout?”
It’s not pretty.
It’s where you grow so angry your brain shuts off
And you have no control over what happens next.
I haven’t had one in years, thank God.


did you make 'whiteout' up yourself? it's an interesting word. I don't think I've ever had one myself, but once I was so furious with someone I shut off all my emotions for two days. I was so angry I couldn't even be bothered to feel angry.:thumbs_up

[PrinceMyshkin]

See my PM to you. I hope it will help to mend things between us.

Shalom u'vracha

[Virgil]

A very nice poem, Pen.

[Pendragon]

See my PM to you. I hope it will help to mend things between us.

Shalom u'vrachaMended. Unbreakable thread. Shalom u'vracha, mon ami.

[TheFifthElement]

Pen, this is so sad and heartfelt, how could it not melt the heart of a friend. Happy new year to you, and bring on the great poetry.

[NikolaiI]

I remember the Buddha's saying about anger, it is like a hot coal - we hold on to it, thinking it will hurt another, but it only burns ourselves.


More beneficial is Thay's wonderful way of dealing with anger, you take good care of it, gently, lovingly. . . "Embracing it with mindfulness."

I'm not expressing it well! Here's a snippet from that discussion with Ram Dass, one where he talks about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIKoxog1eR4


I'm also reminded of a quote by Herman Hesse:

"In each individual the spirit has become flesh, in each man the creation suffers, within each one a redeemer is nailed to the cross."


True friendship is rare - and more valuable than almost anything. As Blake put it - "The Spider, a web; the Bird, a nest; Man - friendship." (punctuation is probably off)


“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

“Dare to love and to be a real friend. The love you give and receive is a reality that will lead you closer and closer to God as well as those whom God has given you to love.”

“Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain. The greatest pain comes from leaving. When the child leaves home, when the husband or wife leaves for a long period of time or for good, when the beloved friend departs to another country or dies … the pain of the leaving can tear us apart.
Still, if we want to avoid the suffering of leaving, we will never experience the joy of loving. And love is stronger than fear, life stronger than death, hope stronger than despair. We have to trust that the risk of loving is always worth taking.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen


Very beautiful and moving poem, Pen - your poetry won't ever be ignored. :-)


“Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen