Echoes are Louder when Empty
Perspectives and Loneliness
Few months ago some of us here in hubland were invited to participate in a shared act of creativity by the Godfather of this enterprise, Mickey, Sr. When the assembled talent includes bravewarrior, Martie Coetser and Marcoujor I knew I was in good company.
We chose to engage in reflection on a common theme, a Perspective, every month. See the intro to the series here: Perspectives: An Introduction
We also invite guest authors each month to share their perspective on the theme at hand. This month we are delighted to welcome Randi.
We have so far flexed our neurons and shared our outpourings on varied subjects such as Knowing your True Self, Vanity, Gratitude, The Charitable Spirit and Regret & Hope.
I have read my fellow authors musings, ponderings and marvelled at their peerless pen(wo) manship. I've been in awe, in deep reflection, sadness, mirth and mystery. I've laughed, learnt, lingered and loved it throughout.
I have written contemplative essays, pondered on how to measure my pleasure, mourned the loss of my Dad, penned a Winnie the Pooh pastiche and a zen story. What other enterprise could give me such sparks of inspiration such as this?
I welcome you not only to read and enjoy my own effort but do follow the mindcrumbs to my fellow authors works and enthuse at the wider landscape.
I welcome you, kind reader to this month's Perspective: Loneliness.
Loneliness
You could be lonely on your own, or feel lonely among a million people. The perception of loneliness can be crippling or liberating. It could lead to melancholy or a creative enterprise. While solitude is described as physical absence of social interactions, loneliness is the 'perception' of such absence of meaningful contact.
I have felt lonely on many occasions - some even when I was in the middle of a loud social gathering, some when I've actually been engaged in conversation... For me loneliness is an internal lanscape one could retract into. The speed and circumstance with which one wanders into such landscape is subjective.
One could wander in voluntarily or one could be pushed into it unwittingly.
Loneliness can be a melancholic indulgence. Yes, I think I could be an indulgent loner, enjoying the company of my own thoughts on occasions. Reminiscing, relaxing and redecorating my personal space.
Yet when I see another soul lonely, I feel like offering that space to the one in need, a welcome shelter to come in and get warmed up for a while. Share the silence and partake in some soul food.
Loneliness sometimes is a choice one makes. Feeling alone and the accompanying sense of despair can make one deaf and blind to offers of love and friendship. Pining for something lost long ago can make one lost in a dark emptiness.
Keep your eyes closed and you'll miss the little rays of hope and love.
Keep your ears shut and you'll miss the whispers of kindness, of love.
I share this song with everyone who has ever felt this way or may feel this way sometime in their journey...
Echoes are Louder when Empty
Wandering lonely through wide open spaces
Watching dunes shift, change, in memory places
Staring in distance at cold empty faces
All around me are, left over traces
Of you, my love, my love.
*
Sky looks so darker when heavy with rain
Hovering over this perilous plain
Digging through debris what is to gain
Searching forever I can't explain
Oh why, my love, my love.
*
I write these words
Searching seeking
Hoping to find
Who I have in mind
My song may float
Looking for you
Like a wandering cloud
Far from the crowd
*
Waiting and watching am I a fool
How long can one wait, is there a rule
Time is so toxic, can be so cruel
Spinning my efforts round like a spool
Of woe, my love, my love
*
Loneliness darkens, it blinds and hides
Stops me from looking at all the sides
Rising and falling just like the tides
Hope comes a-calling, but out it rides
Out of, my sight, my love.
*
I write these words
Searching seeking
Hoping to find
Who I have in mind
My song may float
Looking for you
Like a wandering cloud
Far from the crowd
*
Deafened by silence I'll always be
Echoes are louder, when I'm empty
Whispers of love may, be lost to me
Despair is my choice, I could be free
Of me, my love, my love.
*
Only the lonely, know what I mean
Building my own world, hard to be keen
Stepping out is hard, so long I've been
Lost to my own sight, will I be seen
by those, who know, who love.
*
I write these words
Searching seeking
Hoping to find
One who can be kind
My song may float
Looking for you
Like a wandering cloud
Far from the crowd
*
Deafened by silence I'll always be
Echoes are louder, when I'm empty
Whispers of love may, be lost to me
Despair is my choice, I could be free
Of me, my love, my love...
***
© Mohan Kumar 2013
Perspectives & Others
Thank You!
Thank you so much for reading this Perspective . Please do leave some comments and feedback below. And do vote as appropriate!
If you like what you read share it with friends and family on Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Google+ or similar.
Appreciate your time and interest, dear reader.
Do come again.
Docmo
© Mohan Kumar 2013
MARTIECOETSER * BRAVEWARRIOR * DOCMO * MARCOUJOR * MICKEYSR
And this month's Guest Writer :
btrbell ~
FEBRUARY PERSPECTIVES
LONELINESS:
'How to accept Loneliness' by btrbell
'An Indisputable Emotional Pain' by MartieCoetser
Choice vs. Choices' by bravewarrior
'It's Not about Being Alone' by MickeySr
'Echoes Are Louder When Empty' by Docmo
Comments
Docmo,
thanks for this beautiful poem that you have here
I really enjoyed reading it.
Voted up and sharing with others.
Beautiful one Mohan. Thank you for sharing this.
Votes up, beautiful and sharing!
Hi Docmo,
I really enjoyed reading your perspective on loneliness.
I am not sure that people choose to be lonely. They may chose to be alone and for me that doesn't mean being lonely.
I think we can take advantage of those lonely moments so we can reflect and deal with our feelings around loneliness in a positive way.
Voted up and sharing
Have a great week.
Such a beautiful reflection and a wonderful poem. Loneliness will be no more after reading this.
Mohan (Docmo),
You've created another beautiful piece of art...video, images, music, quotes, words, emotions. You shouldn't say you aspire to be a polymath. You are one, my friend.
Docmo, a wonderful and touching hub, Desperado, a beautiful emotive song; it always manages to take me to the places in my mind I'd just rather not visit, beautiful, but so sad.
I also loved the second image and that quote is so true, as anyone who have experienced loss will be able to relate to.
A really interesitng perspective on something we all feel at times, even, as you say, in a "loud social gathering," or conversation. I think people who write or want to write (I don't know why I hesitate to use the word "writers") are introspective to begin with, and may keep to themselves more than others. I know that is true of me.
This is a beautiful work which sheds some light on a part of us that is always near.
Loneliness is part of most of us in whichever way you see it how one chooses to live with loneliness is a problem.
Docmo - loneliness is a devastating thing, probably something experienced to a greater or lesser degree by everyone who is a sensitive, thinking and caring person. You depict the depth of this emotion beautifully here. Strange, it is something we would like to get away from, because we don't want it, but at the same time it allows us to understand and empathise with our fellow man.
Docmo, This is an awesome hub. I understand your perspective on loneliness and relate to it as one of the loneliest times in my life was when I was right next to someone. I like alone time but I think that is quite different from loneliness as I am at peace when alone. Attitude is everything in life. I loved the way you laid out this this hub featuring thwe other topics and authors. plus the song choice was perfect.
Thank you, Docmo, not only for your insightful writings concerning loneliness but for sharing so much of yourself - who you are and what you believe - in this evocative example of literary musings. You ARE the man, my friend.
- AUTHOR
@Ruby - thank you dear ruby for your visit - I do love the paths we travel and the way they criss cross each other's creative lives. Hugs!
- AUTHOR
@Amy - so nice to see you here... I knew when I wrote this it would resonate with many of the creative souls here. While it is easy to scoff at our own moods and preferences the construction of one's own inner space is multifactorial. As we grow wings and fly, our perspective changes. I am glad, dear amy, that your confidence and your courage have grown and stood the test of time. You're a strong role model for sassy, self contained sincerity. I like what you say about ' I am not closed off to love, I welcome it but I'll survive without it' - more than any other love, loving oneself is the foundation of our inner peace, I suppose. thank you!
@mcbirdsbks- I appreciate your visit and constant support. I hope to entertain and stimulate as much as I can and I value the time a reader spends at my hubs and hope to always give the best I can. Thank you so much for your words!
@Kathi- you're so sweet in your appreciation and kindness. I am glad you liked this work. I feel for your loss but am pleased to hear you feel closer than ever to that love. Sending hugs right back, my friend :-)
- AUTHOR
@oh Maria, Maria - everytime we congregate in this wonderful enterprise there's a shared delight in mutual appreciation and enjoying each other's work. What makes this all the more pleasurable is the way we 'get' each other and yet remain different and unique enough to produce distinct works of creativity. thank you and hugs right back, sweet Mar.
@WillStarr- trust you, sir to always get to the core of the matter. You're so right. Thanks for dropping by.
@scrittobene- thanks for the visit and the votes.
- AUTHOR
@Shauna- thank you so much. Really glad you like the poem - choice vs choices indeed.
@bumpsysmum- thank you for your kind words. I agree on how lucky we are to be surrounded by connectedness.
@FaithReaper- your words are music to my ears. I am delighted at the reception and appreciation and thank you so much for reading and appreciating this piece.
Sorry i misspelled forefront.......Cheers
Beautiful Docmo, Only you can reach into the depths of human loneliness and bring it to the forfront and we can take a look at it and see that loneliness is preferable to some. We all travel on different paths, Which is beautiful. Thank you...
I couldn't say it better than mockingbird that your hubs are always assembled with extra care and what she said, with melding of poetry and song. Even though I lost my husband, I'm not lonely, in fact, probably less lonely and I suppose because he's closer to me in spirit.
I hope you're not lonely in the sense that its painful. Sending you blessings of love my friend, Kathi :O)
Your Hubs are assembled with such flourish. The melding of poetry and the Eagles song along with the hours gathering photographs of solitude lift your presentations to a grand level. Reading the comments it shows you have touched many.
Your poetry is so familiar, DocMo. It reaches in behind the garbage to touch the heart of the matter. It's one of the few readings I've immersed myself in, where I felt like I could hear you saying the words.
As an introvert, I spent a lot of time wondering what was 'wrong' with me. I once met a man who gave me 11 roses and said that "all I had to do to find the 12th was look in the mirror". He told me he couldn't understand why I ever felt depressed when the mirror reflected my face. Aside from the poetic message, I thought about those lovely words and began accepting myself, introversion and all. And, I dare to say, that I like who I am. My mom once looked at me and said "If dad and I were thinner-skinned, we'd be insulted by how you see yourself."In my self-absorption, I'd never even thought of how they might feel about my poor self-image, which made me dislike myself and fostered loneliness. At this point in my life, alone, I have discovered, not only my ability, but my preference to take care of myself, make my own decisions, follow the beat of my own drummer. In the process, I have taken the time, without critique or criticism, to find my interests, develop those endeavors that are mine and feel satisfaction and fulfillment. I am not closed off to love; I welcome it, but I will survive without it. I am not desperate, as I don't have an empty hole to fill, but rather the room for love, when it comes.
Thank you, DocMo, for words with impact I will never forget.
Good write on a familiar human condition we have all confronted at some point in our lives. Voted up.
"Despair is my choice, I could be free"
Therein lies the problem, always.
Up and up.
"Share the silence and partake of some soul food."
Oh Docmo, This is indeed a soulful buffet of food for thought to wake up to.
Your video is powerful with the photgraphy alone...yet the song choice is a perfect accompaniment.
You do a little teaching, yet end up with a poem that has me reaching
(for the tissues...)
I feel the same way you do about Perspectives. Where else can we flex our creative muscles...and yours, sir, are lookin' good!
Voted UP and UABI. Hugs, mar
Thank you so much for sharing your insightful perspective on loneliness with us all. I, too, do so love my alone time with my reflective thoughts. Yet, when I do know that there is one who is so very lonely, I cannot help but to reach out with that human touch to make a connection, and it can be just as simple as a smile or acknowledging their presence. I have felt very alone in a room full of people, when I do not feel connected to anyone there. It is that connectedness that is so important, but the most important of all is love (true and unconditional).
Your poem is amazing without a doubt and powerfully brings home the reality of loneliness.
Thank you for this reflective and beautiful piece. Your music choice is perfect, and the imagery is stunning.
Voted up ++++ and sharing
God bless, Faith Reaper
How insightful this is. Yes loneliness even in a crowd is, I think, maybe worse because you see the possibilities and have none of them. I am lucky, if I'm lonely it's by choice and a time for reflection, I have a wonderful family and we are a sociable bunch and look out for each other. I do feel so much for those who have no one. Great Hub and beautiful poem.
Doc, love the song. It's interesting that we both brought up loneliness has a choice. "One can wander into it voluntarily or be pushed into it unwittingly". I think that's exactly what I meant by choice vs. choices in my hub this month.
Your poem is beautiful. The last line says it all. Nice job!
- AUTHOR
@Baby Tjoklits- we are kindred souls I think... I too am a lonely soul and it made me wonder how much of it is my choice. It's equally amazing how aligned we are as a Perspective team in our reflections on loneliness... I agree completely with you we have to learn to live with that aspect and learn to harness its productivity rather than drown in the quicksand of depression...thank you, Martie,
- AUTHOR
@Mhatter99 - appreciate the visit and comment. Thank you.
@Teaches- delighted you like the music and the poemDianna, much appreciated.
Docmo, with this hub (and video) of yours you have literally aroused the pain of loneliness in me, and all of a sudden you've made me realize again that this is in fact a familiar pain, always in my soul, always ready to cripple me the minute I pay attention to it.
For many years now I know that nobody in particular is to blame for my sporadic states of loneliness, which may last a few minutes or a day or even a few years . I honestly believe that we are born with this - it could be a congenital defect in our soul - and for all we know this is indeed what we call 'chronic depression'. People, circumstances and things merely have the power to distract or draw our attention to it. And that is why we should not rely on others to take it away from us; we have to learn how to live with it, like we would learn how to live with any physical or mental defect we are born with.
Thanks for sharing your heart-touching perceptive on loneliness :) Awesome poem and reasoning....
This is really a great thought on loneliness and how it affects your life. It is a choice ones makes and opening up to those that reach out to you in love will help to overcome the darkness. Love the music selection.
Thank you so much fir sharing your valued perspective.
- AUTHOR
@girishpuri- thank you very much.
@btrbell- really glad you liked it. I am off to read yours and the rest. It's a pleasure having you join us in this enterprise.
A beautiful reflection. I loved reading this especially since I just found it now! Great music, too! Thank you for sharing such a poignant hub! Up and awesome
very much deep, touching, God bless writer.
34