Friday 26 November 2010

I can be alone

I'm not sure if always being with Twin when growing up meant that I wasn't used to being alone. I know as a young adult that I didn't need to have much time by myself. We change though. Now I need time to be just me, alone. I need silence too. I think when I first read this poem I couldn't understand it, and didn't think I would ever understand it, but now I do.
Intimacy

I can be alone,
I know how to be alone.

There is a tacit understanding between my pencils
and the trees outside;
between the rain
and my luminous hair.

The tea is boiling:
my golden zone,
my pure burning amber.

I can be alone,
I know how to be alone.
By tea-light
I write.

Nina Cassian
(Tr from Romanian by
Eva Feiler and nina Cassian)

@

How about you?

7 comments:

  1. I am the opposite - I was an only child and thought I HAD to be alone, until K came into my life and I realised I couldn't stand not having him around and hate being on my own.

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  2. That's really beautiful. I have 3 siblings, so I've always loved to be alone! I tend to get overwhelmed with too many people around.

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  3. Love this poem. I'm an only child so I've always known how to be alone, and I've always needed time by myself and silence. As much as I adore people, parties, activity, I find that sometimes the holidays get overwhelming if I can't carve out little spaces of time to be alone and quiet. Matter of fact as I write I am taking a little break from the Thanksgiving bustle, just me, the laptop and my tea. A nice restorative moment before we begin the evening activities.

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  4. I absolutely have to spend a certain amount of time every day on my own - it's the best way to detangle my head and let it stretch without interruption.

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  5. I positively relish being alone. Each day I have a couple of hours in the afternoon (during term-time) which are bliss. I have then re-charged the batteries enough to enjoy being with noisy people - its a balance.

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  6. I like to be admidst the bustle of family life, but I relish my solitude at times, too. Lovely poem.

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  7. Sadly, or not, alone is my favorite place to be. I remember reading the definition between an extrovert and an introvert: an extrovert is energized by being with others, an introvert is recharged by being alone. If I don't have my alone time, I'm quite a crab. Perhpas that's in part due to teaching, where I'm surrounded by voices, by people, All Day. I love them, but when I'm home, I'm ready for a respite. I loved this poem, I love the photograph you posted with it. Set me there right now!

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Ooh how lovely more stripes on the page...
Thank you for taking the time.