Find Your Wings

/ roughwighting

flying, dreams, creativityI 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. wings http://www.hellokids.com/c_22265/coloring-pages/fantasy-coloring-pages/fairy-coloring-pages/fairy-wings

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.

flying woman

May we all find our wings in 2016!
Painting by Patricia Garfield, PhD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Google Images.

 

 

71 thoughts on “Find Your Wings”

    • 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  13. 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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  15. 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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  19. 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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  21. 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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  23. 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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  24. 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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  26. 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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  28. 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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  29. 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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