Exile
Having abandoned one, I claim the other.
Rain speckles the driveway.
Solitude pays its toll with unmet expectations,
thunder receding, clouds shriveling to dust.
The mockingbird chirrs its cricket tune
before flying to a higher perch.
What you call home I call diminishment.
What you surrender, I bundle and mail to strangers.
“Exile” first appeared here in May 2017.
O at the Edges 
This line “The mockingbird chirrs its cricket tune / before flying to a higher perch.” – is wonderfully placed, it softens the last two lines, offers a redeeming higher perspective. And oh, those last lines, boy they’re powerful and poignant!
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Thanks, Lynne. I’d forgotten about this poem, until I recently stumbled upon it. Those last two lines would probably not occur to me today, at least not in the present tense. 🙂
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Oh you betcha – home is really home now, you are a lucky man!
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I am, indeed!
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Wonderful recording – and I admire the strength to “exile” from “diminishment”.
The last line kinda jumps out as broader context – possible implications … “mail to strangers” puzzles. [Nudge to clear my own clutter before I “surrender” to death … if I began today, would there be time to get it all bundled off to my choices of destinations?]
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One possibility of the “mail to strangers” line could be the act of submitting poetry. The poet gathers and “bundles” ideas, events, things, and sends them out. But of course there are other implications as well. 🙂
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That last line…
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Ha. There’s not much bundling going on these days, but I do email them…
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I am bundling this letter, and mailing it to you , although you are no stranger, more a Mockingbird on a higher perch …
“From Above” (down here in Geelon)
There is hope
There is compassion
There is love
There in the hands of all that be
From under the glorious wings
Of my mythical dove
I visualize calm seas and serene lands
In this world’s cradle of love
There lives hope
There lives compassion
There lives love
There in the hearts of all that be
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I accept this “bundle” in the spirit with which it was sent, and in gratitude and aporeciation. Thank you!
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My pleasure Robert
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A nicely soothing voice on an ailing morning (but I am getting better)
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Thank you, Derrick. So glad you’re improving!
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“Solitude pays its toll with unmet expectations” this is my favorite line. The reason it captured my attention is a bit out of context but it captured my attention because: solitude is often praised for being a main key on the road to success. But this line asks what if solitude never achieves the success or whatever you were promised that it would, is it still praise-worthy?
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Self-imposed solitude has indeed helped me over the years, but it came with a cost. I can’t say that it’s praiseworthy, but then again, I can’t claim that it’s not. A conundrum.
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unfortunately it is 😦
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I just found your comment in my spam folder, among 247 illegitimate comments. Sigh. Dunno why it was there, but thought you should know.
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Thank you for notifying me of this! I like to sit down a few times a week and scroll through my feed to read and comment on every post I see. Maybe they flag that as spamming
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The ways of WordPress are mysterious!
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indeed! lol
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