Something is very gently,
invisibly, silently,
pulling at me – a thread
or net of threads
finer than cobweb and as
elastic. I haven’t tried
the strength of it. No barbed hook
pierced and tore me. Was it
not long ago this thread
began to draw me? Or
way back? Was I
born with its knot about my
neck, a bridle? Not fear
but a stirring
of wonder makes me
catch my breath when I feel
the tug of it when I thought
it had loosened itself and gone.
-Denise Levertov
-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts
(photo taken on an early morning walk along the beach at Hood Canal)
This is getting really spooky – when I opened my front door this morning to go shopping, I found a spider had spun a web at head height right across my garden path about a foot from my door. It, too, had dew drops on it and I actually thought to myself that you would have made a beautiful photograph out of it. I ducked under it but caught some strands and it disintegrated.
"Not fear
but a stirring
of wonder makes me
catch my breath when I feel
the tug of it"
so beautiful and strong…fearless…this journey you are on.
that photo would make an amazing poetry prompt! i feel the words and images stirring already.
Tess, there are a LOT of spiders around the cottage where I am and at first I was a little squeamish, but I've slowly grown to love their creations, especially when they glimmer so beautifully.
Thanks lucy, I am just writing another post for tomorrow about fearlessness.
And I did think the photo might make a good poetry prompt, I have some others so one of those may show up in coming weeks!
Thank you for both the lovely poem and the beautiful picture.
[...] smiled yesterday when lucy commented about my journey of fearlessness because this subject of fear and freedom has been on my heart a [...]