It is often said that we enter one another’s spheres of orbit but for a season. Friends we hold dear, loved ones with whom we’ve lost touch; they influence us, bless us with their presence, then are gone…through circumstance or life changes. We try to hold fast the memories; ultimately, too often, we fade from each other’s spheres. “Life happens,” we say.
Indeed, this life is constant as the North Star in one respect, only: change. The Greek Stoic philosopher, Heraclitus, once observed: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” If we’re lucky, a few close friends, some of our family, our dearest loved ones…they leave an indelible mark of humanity upon our souls, perhaps we upon theirs. How often do we wish we could simply extend our arms to reach them, embrace them, remind them of our deep, abiding love for them? These are the connections that shape us as we ride an “onyx surf of matter” through our brief lives on Earth.
These are, in part, the thoughts and emotions behind the poem, “Interstellar,” posted earlier this week (under tab, “Poetry and Other Short Works”). I wrote it in the style of the early nineteenth-century romantic poets (think, Ode on a Grecian Urn, by John Keats), in part, to reflect the timeless nature of our collective sojourn toward Heaven. Admittedly, you may find other meaning that speaks to you in different ways. In this time of the covid-19 pandemic, it occurred to me that we quarantine ourselves with a somewhat false sense of security, while all around us our fellow humans struggle with a new reality: death in isolation. Fully five percent or more of the world’s infected will perish from covid-19. Statistics now bear that out. Are our loved ones next…? Are we…?
As I “shelter in place” with my dear wife, I wanted to share something that may be useful to you, personally, to keep connection with those whom you love. Through the contribution of my artistic publicist and editor, H.J. McEnroe, I was able to find an image that would best convey the timeless quality we see whenever we gaze into the heavens at night. Through the magic of digital editing, Ms. McEnroe has provided a medium that incorporates both graphic and poetic visuals to create an image that can be printed for re-use by anyone.
Thus, in an age of toilet paper and hand sanitizer hoarding, this is a humble offering for you, my dear readers, for the low, low price of…nothing. As a .pdf file in landscape format, you may reprint it for your own personal use, or share it with a love one. It is just a simple way of offering you the gift of connection.
Peace.
