My Moonshadow Mistress
Loving Against the Odds
Every time I've left with a change of clothes, you've said,
"Come home, baby. This time, it'll be different."
Lunacy, my friends said, this longing, while you remained
Indifferent as the moon on a winter night to my
Pleas, my desperate texts, begging you not to
Share our love--yet you did—and I've returned
Every time. For I'll always believe your lies.
About the Creator
Geoffrey Philp
I am a Jamaican writer. I write poems (haiku & haibun), stories & essays about climate change, Marcus Garvey, music icons such as Bob Marley, and the craft of writing through personal reflection & societal engagement.
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Radical Amazement
Since I began writing haiku, I've found guidance in the teachings of an amazing teacher. No, it's not Bashō or any other renowned haiku master. It's Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a religious philosopher who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Amelia Boynton, and John Lewis at Selma. In reflecting on that historic march, Heschel said, "Our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying" (Stern). According to Heschel, contemporary Western society lacks the sense of wonder and awe essential for spiritual growth (Heschel). He advocates for living with “radical amazement,” —no doubt linked to the idea of emuna or living in the presence of Hashem-- urging individuals to view the world through fresh eyes each day and acknowledge the extraordinary in the ordinary: "Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement... Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed" (Heschel). This concept of “radical amazement” has become the cornerstone of my creative process, leading me to explore the haiku of poets such as Chiyo-ni, Shiki, and Santōka Taneda, whose haiku embody the ideas described by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel - the ability to view the world with a sense of wonder and discover profound beauty and meaning in everyday moments.
By Geoffrey Philp 26 days ago in Poets
Comments (4)
Haunting! Easy-flowing and plausible with an expert touch.
You've given your readers a lovely one here. The loneliness is palpable. I love how this piece could be interpreted in so many ways. There is both a sturdiness and an open, vastness that I appreciate. Wonderful piece.
Beautiful but quite sad.
So sad, we all have been deceived by love . Excellent poetry