On time, and life, and our multi-dimensional being
Swirling currents, eddying over the surface of the water,
forming whirlpools that whisper to her their song of change.
As the waves crash over the rocks, the sea salt spray on her lips
carries the tale of the journeys that were and the journeys to come.
In the split second silence between one crash of the wave and the next
a new world stretches before her like eternity.
She curls her toes curl in the sandy beach and tosses her head, her hair flying in the wind in anticipation
as she gets ready to leap — into a new skin, a new life, a new story.
This poem could be an anthem to the eternal soul, standing in that liminal space between one life and the next, dreaming of what it wants to become next.
Or maybe these are the words of your origin story. Of this life that you are leading now. When you look back at how your life has unfolded, it looks like a continuum, one choice leading to the next to the next.
But equally, each choice is the beginning of a new story. A new petal on your eternal unfolding.
A different choice could have led to a different story…a different life…a different you.
From each choice another life branches out. One different choice could have led to a different path from the one you find yourself walking on now.
There’s this theory of parallel lives. That for each choice you didn’t make, there’s another you in another universe living out the story of that choice.
So what if you looked at each choice made, each one discarded, as branches extending out from YOU in the centre. An intricate web of choices, circumstances, stories, lives. Some, perhaps, meeting and criss-crossing, others veering out into wildly different — unknown — territory.
There’s a theory that time as we know it — as linear: past, present, future — is just a human construct. That our past lives and our future lives and all our selves living the lives that different choices could have created are all happening in the eternal NOW.
We all have origin stories. Multitudes of lives and loves and sorrows and joys stretching into eternity — past and future, because that’s the only way we can understand it.
When you look back at your life, it looks like a linear story — this choice led to this path led to this person led to this circumstance led to the me who I am in this moment.
But when you look at that liminal space between choices, an entirely different path emerges…maybe even an entirely different you.
Our origin stories are always changing. Always unfolding, like a lotus with infinite petals, opening up with each choice that we make.
I’ll leave you with this thought from The Seth Material, “the entire self or “entity” [higher self/soul] is a gestalt consisting of the inner self, various selves that the entity has assumed through past existences (physical and non-physical), plus all the currently incarnated selves, and all their probable counterparts.”
Interesting, don’t you think?
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Weekly notes from an artist’s studio, including pages from my mixed media art journal, works in progress, notes on the creative process, and other ideas that capture my interest, along with regular discussion threads to chat about art.
What this made me think is all is in one and one is in all. I loved the poem. It works if you look at it from micro or macro perspective.
Thanks so much, Suchita! You’ve bolstered the confidence of this super rusty has-been poet! 😉
Loved the theme and the beautiful imagery in your poem, Shinjini. It stood out for me from the many poems that I have read this week—unique in it’s essence and yet so familiar to the kind of thoughts that keep coming to my mind very often. I love this concept of the parallel universe and our parallel selves…it has often intrigued me into reflecting on the possible choices that could have happened in our lives but eventually didn’t. Loved your post.
Thanks so much, Esha! I used to write poetry fairly regularly, but I’m super rusty and the words don’t flow as easily these days. So glad that the imagery worked — I was afraid I may have messed it up! The parallel universe and parallel selves is such an intriguing concept, isn’t it?
The art is stunning, Shinjini. I saw it on your Facebook page and was so in awe. And then you go and add the poem and this reflection! Fantastic.
I believe that I am in the process of unfolding another petal – making choices that will move me closer to what I want to be. Sometimes I wonder at how even my seemingly poor choices have landed me where I am today…if I hadn’t made them, I might have been much harder on people….
Thank you so much, Corinne! Here’s to the unfolding of our petals, so that we can bloom bright and true! <3
Such deep thoughts! The book “The Midnight Library” ventures into the parallel life situation and I loved thinking about the whole life situation in depth. I love the way you described it, Shinjini – Always unfolding, like a lotus with infinite petals, opening up with each choice that we make. Your words make life sound like an artwork. And of course, we are the artist, right? Beautiful poem you shared above. 💗
Oh, I loved The Midnight Library! It was such a beautiful book. And I’m so glad you enjoyed the poem — thank you!! It’s been such a long time since I’ve written poetry; every time I attempt to write something, I’m pretty sure I’m making a fool of myself!
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