A Poem: Recollections

What if you were to recall
you are in charge of your own happiness.
That your mind has a curtain it can draw.
Music kept in its recesses,
that you can lift the lid of the grammaphone,
draw it into the centre of the room.

What if you were to remember
everything you’ve seen, felt
of beauty has left its mark.
That in your private space
you can watch the reels behind your eyes.

You can lay the slides upon the table,
trace their lines.
What if you knew
you could rise above everyone.
That the ties at a distance
will loosen and recede.
That from here you might realise
you’re not bound to anyone,
except through the bonds of love,
gently strung.

What if you knew,
let your bones soften and recall to you,
that you are a piece of heaven
leant to earth for a season.
And that happiness
is both your birthright
and the gift you’re given to discharge.

It will not do to you,
or anyone you love,
to believe you are in chains.
To make each other allocators of joy.
To blame the round, flawed world for its insults,
others for their drawbacks.

You are in charge
of the life spark, internal fire within,
that you feed or starve,
all at your own will.
So come follow beauty,
who is bidding.
Gasp and swallow.
drink your full of all the gifts poured.

Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
October 2021

‘When joy is the music of our souls, we soar.’
~ Bob Holmes

‘My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
~ Song of Solomon 2:10-13