I once flew, before I knew I couldn’t.
Not in a mechanical metal device,
but in my own voluminous state of being.
When I was young, I flittered with gossamer wings
moving the air … and me.
I flew back then, you know.
No one else believes me,
but my memory is clear and concrete.
My mom runs to my room as I stand on my bed,
arms out, and I jump.
“What are you doing?” she shouts.
I flew back then, you know.
“I’m flying!” I sing in my happy high voice.
From the bed to the window and up to the shelf.
Hair fluttering with the breeze,
the air is light and giving,
my arms, soft weightless wings.
I flew back then, you know.
But mom only says, “No” and then,
“People don’t fly.”
She closes the door.
I push off the bed and fly again.
I’m free!
I flew back then, you know.
Can no one else do this? I begin to wonder.
My feet hit the mattress as I worry for those
Who don’t feel the freedom of being –
Who don’t know who they are.
I cry, and my wings disappear.
I flew back then, you know.
Thanks to Google Images.
I may have met you way back then, somewhere high above the green. Happy 2016!
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I KNEW I wasn’t alone!!!
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Soft Weightless Wings. Fly! Happy New Year.
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Now, that’s a perfect new year’s greeting. I wish you soft weightless wings for 2016 also.
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We can do so much more before the world tells us we can’t! Happy New Year, Pam 💘
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Exactly the point. If, as children, we only knew to stay true to our own feelings and instincts. Well, we can try to un-learn what we’ve been told is possible, and what isn’t.
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Isn’t it funny that we often do things before we learn that we can’t ? Bummer!
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Bummer, indeed. Thanks for ‘getting’ my poem. Can we unlearn the boundaries we were taught? Hmmm.
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I am going to look for my lost wings and fly away . Happy New Year, Pam.🎈
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I wish you the BEST of luck in finding those wings, Gerlinde! ❤
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Here’s to flying. Happy New Year!
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May we fly high in our writing too. Boundaries be damned. (You’re really good at that with your own books, Carrie!)
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Thank you. I’m working on it. 🙂
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Nice! A great point of view!
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Thanks. I’m trying to re-discover that child’s point of view, for sure. Happy New Year!
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Once upon a time, I flew as well. The past several years, I’ve been searching for my misplaced wings . . . I think I’m getting close. 😀
I loved this post! It took me back to a time and place where anything was possible.
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I LOVE finding others who have experienced what I’m trying to convey. Keep on with the search – I’m out there with you.
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I love it, Pam!! You brought back that feeling I had one time, too. Too many “you can’ts” in our lives. May your 2016 be full of flying!
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Hey, Barb. Thanks for letting me know that you’ve also flown – all of our conversations in the past years, and we never shared that experience. No surprise, though, that you remember the sensation – I think it brought you far and wide over the years. xo
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Here’s to all of us finding our wings in 2016. Happy New Year, Pam! I’m so happy our paths crossed in 2015.
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May our paths continue to cross in a writerly, readerly, blog-friendly way, Jill. Happy New Year – here’s to 2016 bringing us publishing bliss. 🙂
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How lovely. Too bad we have to grow up and stop flying. Perhaps we don´t have to. Happy New Year!!
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That’s the rub, Darlene. DO we really need to hide those wings? I get the sense that you’re finding yours in that beautiful new space/place you’re living in.
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Wonderful, Pam. Totally uplifting!
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Uplifting – a perfect pun for my ‘winged’ post. 🙂
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Yes, I thought of it afterwards!!!
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🙂
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When I was very young…first grade to be exact…I flew home from school on a very windy day. Long gangly legs propelled me into the wind, thick long braids streamed out behind. Surely many mothers along those ten blocks had a good laugh that afternoon at the gooney bird’s attempt to fly. One hair ribbon was all that managed to fly free that day, never to be seen again.
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Esther – I see a children’s illustrated book in your childhood flying experience with the wind beneath your wings, legs and braids following. Hmmm, maybe that hair ribbon will still show up one day…
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I just love that! Thanks for the lift ❤️Happy New Year.
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Well, Jeanette, may you continue to lift up those around you, sister. Happy New Year from MA to CA.
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Lovely lovely! It reminded me of those dreams we have where we can fly and when we wake up there’s a bit of time where we still really believe we can, we just have to recapture that feeling we had in the dream and we’ll be able to do it.
When the road of life makes you weary of walking, remember your wings (old Chinese saying).
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Thank you for the PERFECT Chinese saying that goes with my flying post. I’ve never heard it, but it’s now my new ‘go-to’ mantra. xo
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I know, it’s probably my favourite one ever, I was given it by a friend printed on a picture when I was going through a hard time, and it made me really emotional. I often tell it to people who are going through difficult times, it’s kind of empowering isn’t it.
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Extremely empowering. I just shared it on my roughwighting Facebook page. THANKS!
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Lovely! If we hold on to our dreams regardless of what others say, we shall soar.
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We need to learn to believe in those dreams and our instincts. Fly away!!
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Absolutely. A world without dreams would be a very boring place.
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And how. (Huh, that’s an old expression that just crept in here.) But without dreams, life would be in black and white.
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May your proper memory return so you can safely take off and fly in freedom again.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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You got it, David. Our ‘proper’ memories. Y E S ! I’m getting there… How about you? xoxonewyearhugxoxoxo
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I’m flying so lightly through the air carried on the breeze and your words.❤️
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I’m so glad my words are lifting you lightly. You just lifted my mood! 🙂
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I often dreamed of flying….lovely poem 🙂 I also wanted to let you know that I nominated you for a blog award which you don’t have to feel obliged to participate (I know they are time consuming). I wanted to share with others a few of the blogs that I enjoy. Thanks so much for visiting my site.
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I’ve had so much fun over at your blog looking at the other nominees that I almost forgot to come back here. Thank you for the Sisterhood nomination! I don’t accept awards on roughwighting but I surely appreciate the honor. Here’s to more dreams of flying this year.
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You are certainly welcome…I am hoping 2016 will be a good year to fly 🙂
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Oh that is a lovely poem. If only we could all fly and soar to greater heights to fulfill our dreams.
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The thing is, I think we CAN fly and even soar; after all, I did it once. Just need to re-learn the skill. Fly on!
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Yes, for sure. 🙂
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I never actually flew but I swear I could lift off the floor and rise to the ceiling and hover there. It was so easy at the time. Maybe only the very young are able to do these amazing things. Growing up tends to glue our feet to the floor.Your poem is beautiful.
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YAY, Bonnie! So you know exactly what I’m talking about. Yessss I believe we really did do it. And yes, it was easy, before we found out we weren’t supposed to be able to. Here’s to ungluing our feet and finding our wings in 2016.
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Beautiful! I too flew as a child… the dreams were so real… I haven’t forgotten how 🙂
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I think if we haven’t forgotten the way it felt, then it’s still possible to make it happen again!
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Beautiful poem.. synonymous of all the things we know we can do until someone tells us we can’t 😦
This happens even today….
Happy New Year Pamela! May all of us find our wings again in 2016! 😀
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To our wings, and our 2016 mantra: we CAN we CAN we CAN. xo
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Yes, may we all find our wings in 2016! Congratulations on the sisterhood award – greatly deserved!! While I don’t do awards now I have enjoyed exploring the blogs of the other nominees. It has been a pleasure for me to follow yours! Keep up the good writing. Cheers!
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Why thank you, blogging ‘sister.’ I agree, I don’t accept awards now either, but it’s still an honor that others enjoy our writing so much. I also enjoy following your blog. To a prolific and fantastic new year.
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This post made me smile. Thank you for that.
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Smiles are good. Smiles while flying with your own wings – even better. 🙂
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Oh for those “when the world is new” feelings again! Once in a great while, I dream I’m flying free. But the dreams don’t quite have that same freshness, I’m afraid. What a great poem to start the new year. 🙂
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Lately I have asked for flying dreams right before I go to sleep. I’ve been told that if we think of something we want to see/solve/experience right before the mind closes down at night, we will receive. Good luck and hope it works for you!
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Oh, that suffocating, smothering, crushing of words. Be brave, determined, and struggle free!
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My little poem here reminded me of that – stifle the words of ‘you can’t’ and free all the memories of ‘you can.’
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This reminds me that I need to approach my days with my “Little Lorna” imagination. Without the adult brain’s limits, the world is certainly a more magical place. We should visit it more often with our child’s mind on flittering wings. Thank you!
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You got it exactly, Lorna. I was rather surprised when this memory of my wings flew so rapidly into my mind; a great reminder of us to sling away the sting of words of what we ‘can’t do,’ and remember the time we knew we could do whatever we felt.
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Pamela, I am a “bad” friend and may have deleted this before I saw it was yours. I really liked this very special post. It meant a lot, children and their beliefs and hopes have sweet gossamer wings with their chests (hearts) full of hope. Love, Robin
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I’m glad you found me (and yourself) with wings, always attached, always fluttering lightly, if only we remember that they’re there.
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
THEN WE CAN FLUTTER BY!
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Thanks for re-blogging Jonathan. Hope you know where YOU’RE wings are!
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Lovely poem. It seems many lose wings at a certain age. We should all strive to keep them as long as possible. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks Suzanne. So true. I was happy when this poem just kind of flew from my pen; it reminded me that my wings are still there. I just need to free them up!
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