After sharing cute and funny posts, here's one that is more literary.
The Arrow and the Song
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
What does this poem mean to you?
I think I may have posted this in the wrong sequence since this will be published "on top" of my other two for today, since the posts on the home page are in chronological order.
But I meant for the other two to be seen first. They're lighthearted posts, but also speak to the impact of words and actions, which is what this poem is about for me. How lovely it is to know that a song you've sung can be found in the heart of a friend. You may not be able to see it or to feel its effects, but this poem suggests that the positivity and warmth can be felt and forever have even the smallest beneficial effect.
Sharing the love of reading with your child and seeing how that child has taken that love and shares it with his/her most loved possessions. There is a lot of positivity to take in from seeing that photo. A nurturing environment, a peaceful and quiet home. A child who reflects what they see.
And then the four stars. A slight disappointment, a tiny stab of criticism or imperfection. I think about Clara and the criticism of her art at the start of her career, and how Louise sees herself as Clara. I can feel her pain when her work isn't as well received as she'd like. I knew, even before I had read it, that Louise could identify with Clara in those early books. And just like the songs that can be found in the heart, so can the arrows, still unbroken.
I wonder if people think about the songs and arrows they shoot and breathe, and how they might land and burrow. I wonder if people even care, unless it is their heart that is receiving the arrows or songs?
Well, I read them in your intended order because I usually start from the oldest post I have not yet read. I hope to be intentional about what I say or write. I have been the beneficiary of others’ words of affirmation; there is nothing more powerful or more easily shared. Thanks for the reminder of the power of words.
I wish in this day and age we were more in tune with what we say, the impact it might have on another person or people. I feel like we are in such a hurry all the time that we don’t even speak or write in complete words anymore. We use what I call “alphabet soup” all the time to get the word out faster. It all leaves so much that can be misinterpreted. We live in an age of immediate gratification. Always wanting immediate feedback. This lovely poem is a reminder to me that we may never find that tree with the unbroken arrow but it doesn’t mean it’s not out there somewhere. We may never know that a kind word we spoke impacted someone’s life in a positive way. Just because we don’t know the end result should not be the determinate of our positive actions.
Like Jane, I start from the oldest post that I have not read and appreciate the positive words here.