The poet and philosopher, David Whyte, captures the unseen territory in our lives with the inspiring landscapes of his words.
“There is a faith in loving fiercely…”
The above words open David Whyte’s poem, TRUELOVE. and immediately captivate me because of my own poem, Loving Fiercely. I can’t remember if I had read his poem before I wrote mine, but the themes are universal. My poem describes the the receiving end of that love, but David Whyte describes the giving of that fierce love. Later in the poem, he describes the transition to risking the vulnerability of love.
so that when
we finally step out of the boat
toward them, we find
everything holds
us, and everything confirms
our courage, and if you wanted
to drown you could,
but you don’t
because finally
after all this struggle
and all these years
you simply don’t want to
any more
Read the full poem at the end of this post.
His words captures the mystery of love. He provides the roadmap to facing the challenge of finding the courage to love … and love fiercely. David Whyte continues to inspire me. Loving fiercely is one of the categories that I explore in my upcoming performance.
Upcoming Storytelling Performance: “Legacy of Love”
Join me to explore love in all its forms in my upcoming debut SOLO storytelling performance “Legacy of Love.” Friday, August 25th, 2017, 7pm-8:30pm. “The Teacher” will be featured in this signature collection of personal stories and folk tales to touch the heart, speak to the soul, and tickle the funny bone. Tickets available at LegacyofLove.eventbrite.com.
Prior posts on David Whyte
David Whyte on Facebook
THE TRUELOVE
—by David Whyte
There is a faith in loving fiercely
the one who is rightfully yours,
especially if you have
waited years and especially
if part of you never believed
you could deserve this
loved and beckoning hand
held out to you this way.I am thinking of faith now
and the testaments of loneliness
and what we feel we are
worthy of in this world.Years ago in the Hebrides,
I remember an old man
who walked every morning
on the grey stones
to the shore of baying seals,
who would press his hat
to his chest in the blustering
salt wind and say his prayer
to the turbulent Jesus
hidden in the water,and I think of the story
of the storm and everyone
waking and seeing
the distant
yet familiar figure
far across the water
calling to themand how we are all
preparing for that
abrupt waking,
and that calling,
and that moment
we have to say yes,
except it will
not come so grandly
so Biblically
but more subtly
and intimately in the face
of the one you know
you have to loveso that when
we finally step out of the boat
toward them, we find
everything holds
us, and everything confirms
our courage, and if you wanted
to drown you could,
but you don’t
because finally
after all this struggle
and all these years
you simply don’t want to
any more
you’ve simply had enough
of drowning
and you want to live and you
want to love and you will
walk across any territory
and any darkness
however fluid and however
dangerous to take the
one hand you know
belongs in yours.