"Doll's Dreamhouse" by Rob Gonsalves
"imagine a place...
...where your mind opens wider
than any walls around you."
"imagine a place...
...where your mind opens wider
than any walls around you."
It is done now. Amidst half-unpacked boxes and piles of clothes I have a chance to stop and gather my thoughts, if not my scattered belongings. I have moved house and I have done it well. A person can become used to almost anything, endure transformations and frequent changes without becoming hopelessly lost. The transformation from house to home is an art, a skill learned with constant practice.
And I am well practiced - this is the 22nd house I will call home. Each change brings loss and gain. This time, I have exchanged wide vistas for white gates, the balcony for an enclosed courtyard, freedom for security. Or so such things appear in moments of doubt, of uncertainty.
"Stepping Stones" by Rob Gonsalves
"imagine a place...
...where you bend and sway,
leap and land,
right where a story begins"
"imagine a place...
...where you bend and sway,
leap and land,
right where a story begins"
The change from house to home takes time. It cannot be rushed - this seems true of all the valuable things worth pursuing in life. For a time I wander restlessly between cold walls, listening to foreign echoes, questioning even myself and my place in life. Then, unexpectedly, one day I find myself at home. One quiet night the walls embrace, the resonance sustains and my weary spirit finds rest.
"Making Waves" by Rob Gonsalves
"imagine a place...
...where the sigh of surf
and the whisper of waves
spill from your suitcase
and drift in your dreams."
"imagine a place...
...where the sigh of surf
and the whisper of waves
spill from your suitcase
and drift in your dreams."
But there are no cheats or short-cuts, despite my superior skills. I will have to be patient in the transition, try to be present and attentive to this new place, this strange space. So tonight I soaked in a bath and let the salt and bubbles work their magic on my aching muscles. I listened to the sounds of family life going on around me, conversations and dinner preparations in this new place which I thankfully share with those I love.
Here is a sort-of-poem-thing which hopefully captures something of the place I'm in at the moment. I am tired, slightly disoriented and my head feels woolly, but I think I will come good. It just takes a little time.
"Ladies of the Lake" by Rob Gonsalves
submerged beneath bubbles
floating idly
listening through the walls
footsteps across floorboards
a knife on a cutting board
the tenor and the soprano
father and daughter
in a tango of culinary creation
a gastronomic delight
bangers and mash
an ice cold beer
all drawn together
in blissful union
around the table
a moment’s silence
the shared grace
transforms to sacred space
the mundane and profane
moments of life become
hymns of love
single notes entwine into a melody
lone steps weave into a dance
gently held by a touch
of hands passing plates
© Petra Brown, 2009
"The Dancing Wind" by Rob Gonsalves
submerged beneath bubbles
floating idly
listening through the walls
footsteps across floorboards
a knife on a cutting board
the tenor and the soprano
father and daughter
in a tango of culinary creation
a gastronomic delight
bangers and mash
an ice cold beer
all drawn together
in blissful union
around the table
a moment’s silence
the shared grace
transforms to sacred space
the mundane and profane
moments of life become
hymns of love
single notes entwine into a melody
lone steps weave into a dance
gently held by a touch
of hands passing plates
© Petra Brown, 2009
"The Dancing Wind" by Rob Gonsalves
I composed this post and the poem last night. Today my five year old accompanied me to my "office". We had a coffee in the bistro, borrowed books from the library, surfed the internet, she joined the Deakin Philosophical Society meeting and happily declared "uni is so fun!" I needed the reminder. Five year olds are excellent guides to the Wonders of the World. I highly recommend finding one of your own. We found this little treasure in the university library.
"imagine a place...
...where your ship holds
all you once knew
and the horizon offers
all you ever need"
Some of the illustrations on tonight's post came from this book, also some of the quotes. Other paintings also by the same artist. Fantastic. My ship shall set sail once again.
