June 24, 2010

when my mind wanders...

i bet i would have loved the building that held this chimney
but
the chimney all alone
brave and standing on his own
in the middle of nowhere
slightly leaning
made me get out of the car
~
the building
itself
might not have done that
~
have you noticed
that when you peel back the layers of
anything
it's the contents you find inside that are amazing and beautiful
~
think about it
~
isn't the woman's face
plastered with makeup
and
whose lashes stick together when she blinks
really beautiful and full of life
after she's washed everything off and left it all behind in her washcloth
and
isn't a banana or an onion fabulous
inside
once it's been peeled
and
when someone is filled with crappy memories
don't they look radiant when they've told their story
to someone who understands
because
they finally rid themselves of the pain that was blistering them from the inside out
~
but
the most beautiful thing to ever see
once the layers are peeled back
is someones heart
and
sometimes
if they're really stubborn
that can take more patience and understanding then you ever thought possible
and
it will make you sweat and cry and pound your fists and walk away and come back
and
do it all over again
but
once you find
that heart
and
hold onto it
you'll never regret all the work it took
and
all the peeled layers
that had to be gently discarded along the way
to finally
see it
and
talk to it
and
be with it
*

27 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 24, 2010

    oh..that chimney reminds me so much of this...

    A Chimney Stands on a Hill

    but yours is huge! and your words are lovely!

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  2. This is so beautiful it made me cry. You are a Beautiful Heart, Beth. Really Beautiful.
    Big Love to you, Artist-Woman.

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  3. Sometimes it is just too scary to let anyone get close enough to the heart. So when someone is able to get that close to someone else, it is a blessing indeed.

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  4. And that is the point...to gently discard the layers that have been peeled back. This is so beautiful! And I love the photo!1
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  5. Rather than peeling, sometimes it feels like cracking nuts! but I love the treasure inside!
    fantastic picture!

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  6. Oh, Beth, this is so very moving and lovely -- and so true. (Though I'm not sure about the make-up part!)

    I love this chimney. It reminds me of Peter Pan (only theirs were toadstools!) -- a chimney popping from under the ground, and don't you wonder who is below? I do!

    Everyday I try to peel back layers with greater success some days than others. These are words well chosen.

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  7. Lovely thoughts of peeling away the layers. What surprises we can find. Great chimney. It is so tall, it almost looks like something for industry. Have a great day!

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  8. To reach this tender inside layer is a gift - handle with care! A thought-provoking muse, Beth.

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  9. lovely post...i've always thought myself as an onion. sorta stinky (lol - just kidding) and sometimes prone to make someone cry.

    we are all filled with so many layers and stories.

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  10. What a great image and thoughtful post.
    It's so true. Seems like it often comes back to appreciating the simplicity of things.

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  11. Beth you have such a wonderfu heart and way with words. there are so many layers to all of us and so many stories. I love this old chimney standing stoic in the field. What a find. I would have stopped the car too. take care. hugs.

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  12. What a great picture.....and the analogy is terrific.......:-) Hugs

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  13. Beautiful, poetic thoughts. i love this. Thank you...

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  14. so very true. so very beautiful written and presented.
    amazing chimney - so tall - rising above the tallest of trees

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  15. you just sent an arrow straight to my heart.

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  16. Your so right, all those great analogy's. It's like a present. As beautifully as it might be wrapped, peeling away the wrapping always discloses something even more beautiful...because it's a gift.
    I wonder what the story is behind that lone chimney? I love that stuff.

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  17. AnonymousJune 24, 2010

    i think a woman's face is at its best without any makeup on. what is the need for artifice?

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  18. Almost everything...if not everything in nature seems to be layered...You write about it beautifully...

    What a lovely chimmney to photograph!...maybe it was once part of a furnace...

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  19. What a chimney! How amazing that as tall and slender as it is, it still stands strong and true. Beautiful! I'm truly curious as to what the building was that wrapped around it!

    Great writing, a book please!

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  20. That chimney is glorious! I love that it is still strong and standing.

    And I especially love your words and thought today Beth. Peeling the layers away take a lot of patience but it's usually very worth it. Thanks for the lovely reminder.

    jj

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  21. Oh Beth...teary-eyed once more. What a beautiful post and so timely for me right now- my layers are showing all over the place and I feel it's not good- too much to see and deal with and sometimes way too overwhelming for all involved; so much is exposed- maybe too much.

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  22. I agree with you, about the building that must have gone with the chimney, and the chimney all alone. And, of course, layers... I am someone whose heart used to be quite covered up in protective layers, and as they are shedding it is painful, but beautiful too. Thank you.

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  23. i think the lighting is exquisite Beth ... a perfect stop the car moment... the words you shared are full and thoughtful

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  24. I love your heart, dear girl. I love your heart.

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**I love reading the comments you leave, as they make me feel like we're sitting in my kitchen, having a cup of tea, discussing life and wondering where all the time has gone ...beth