Being Alone is Not the Same as Being Lonely
An Old Lady’s Deep Thoughts # 11
Solitude
This morning
I was fully contented
in my dove gray chair
Sitting over there
by the window
I indulged my writing addiction
Often, gazing through the glass
at the dripping landscape
Watching winter pass
and loving the cold rain
running in rivulets
on the window pane
I cooked today
A tasty morsel in the oven
making my kitchen
fit for a witches coven
where spices and aromas
wooed me into a trance
and I found myself
feeling a primordial dance
in my bones
I no longer resist
when nature persists
in blessing me
I walked in the afternoon
Entertained by
birds flying overhead
They barely had to try
to levitate into the sky
and I thought about
how being them instead of me
would be just fine
I’d live among the trees
or soar above the clouds
shrouded in mist and sunshine
The closest to divine
that this life has to offer
I read for a while tonight
by a warm soft light
holding the book in my hands
and leaning slightly into a tale
of wanderers and gypsy bands
A glass of red wine
on the table by my side
like a luminous jewel
and I realized what a fool
I can sometimes be
when I let too much time pass
between these blessed vigils of
reading while sipping from a wine glass
I’m at my best
when on my own
all alone
thinking my thoughts
dreaming my dreams
soaking up the ambiance
of what feels real to me
I can be with others
but eventually, you see,
I start missing my own company
Solitude is my faithful friend
She’s showered me with peace of mind
time and time again
In the end, I recognized myself
because of those moments alone
like no one else can do
Finally understanding that
the me that’s me will never be
the you that’s you
Whether in the still of the night
or the sun of broad daylight
I can let go of tired expectations
mistakenly held for others
I can refuse to bother
with ridiculous frustrations
instead embracing all
that I’ve come to know
For no matter where I’ve been
or where I’ll go
Being alone and lonely
simply aren’t the same
If only everyone.
understood this.
© Teresa Roberts 2018
Author’s notes: Solitude nourishes my soul.
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
