Sun Kissed Days

Sun Kissed Days

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Forgiveness







Butterflies in my hair,
butterflies in my head,
thoughts born to take flight.
In a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco,
I thought of you.
Tables in booths with curtains drawn,
in my mind like confessionals at church,
the soul waiting absolution.
The soul delights as it rises
through green fields of forgiveness. 
A small cubicle,
with an unspoken promise.
You spill your soul hoping for a new slate,
a new day.
All of us sinners,
with our poison of choice,
our path muddy,
on our journey.
Sins fester inside,
imprisoned in our being.
We bury them without allowing
them wings to fly,
as we watch our dreams die,
leaving them in a bottomless
ocean of pain.


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115 comments:

  1. Oh, how poignant Ayala. How sensitively, and beautifully this is written.

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  2. Yeah they build up leaving us in a hole when we should let them stroll.

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  3. The first five lines of this are my favorite. Beautiful.

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  4. tight emotions and images in this ayala..the small cubicle, muddy path, sins festering inside...forgiving is not easy but brings so much freedom..for those we forgive and ourselves as well...funny that you mention san francisco...will be in cali soon and thought all day today if i should make the trip to frisco as well...maybe this was a sign...smiles

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    1. You should go...I just love San Francisco..so full of life.

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    2. i will...just for a weekend but...think i fell in love with the city before i even got there...smiles...happy saturday to you ayala

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    3. Happy Saturday. So happy you will go..you will love it!

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  5. I like the hope for the new slate...foregiveness is a tough choice, both in giving and receiving ~

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  6. smiles...thank goodness for forgiveness and grace....for we have all been there....one big thing is learning to fogive ourselves as well....

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  7. forgiveness is one of the toughest things in life, you have mapped out why just beautifully here.

    allowing them wings to fly, yes. that is the key.

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    1. Thank you, Kelly. Sometimes forgiving others is easier than forgiving ourselves.

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  8. Oh, how this beauty of a poem resonates with me! So hard to forgive...but then first we must forgive ourselves if we are to forgive others and move on. Wonderful write, A!

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  9. Ouch, but such a beautiful poem, stinging with beauty and truth.

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  10. Yes, we are all sinners but, that is why we also have forgiveness too. As Brian says, the one thing we sometimes tend to forget to do, is to forgive ourselves. I love all of this Ayala. I read recently (if you believe in these things) that right up until the moment of death, if we ask to be forgiven and repent for our sins, we can be. Who knows. I love all of this Ayala. I want to pick out a favourite line but, it's all so lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Bren....who knows....good to forgive others and forgive ourselves.

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  11. Green fields of forgiveness! This is lovely!

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  12. those butterflies try to take flight but perhaps feel it's not their right to live those dreams - but yet there is hope and promise here - that they will fly - yet - and soar - xxx lovely Ayala - Lib

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  13. Yes, sins DO fester inside. I like the setting of this piece as well as its honesty.

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  14. This is definitely a heartfelt poem. It is really hard sometimes, though I do really believe that God gives us as many new slates as we need.

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    1. Thank you, Mary. I would like to believe that.

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  15. I love the idea of giving "sins a pair of wings." Why should they be sentenced to a life of repression? There must be some beauty in allowing people to see what we consider ugly or shameful.

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    1. Yes..there is a beauty in allowing people see the ugly and shameful.

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  16. Sins fester inside -- oh yes, and then those wings don't work at all.

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  17. Forgiveness is such a freeing act... just like a butterfly. Beautiful!

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  18. San Francisco holds a special place in my heart - you carried me there on the wings of this lovely poem, thank you!

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  19. Beautiful writing. I really love the imagery.

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  20. As long as we can forgive ourselves, our slate will be clean...an added bonus if others do as well. This is beautiful, Ayala!

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  21. I like the rhythm of this verse. My favorite line is "You spill your soul hoping for a new slate."
    Well done Ayala.

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  22. I love the alignment of restaurant booths and confessionals.

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  23. good work



    Aloha from Honolulu,

    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^=

    > < } } ( ° >

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  24. Not so easy to let the heaviness go. Very thoughtful and provocative poem. Nice job.

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  25. Oh dear - the butterflies try to rise but hard in so much wet and weight. Know how this feels and somehow very appropriate for SF. k.

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  26. Wow!! What a wonderful piece!! The other day, at the store, as I opened the door of my car, and proceeded to get out, a beautiful red dragonfly, flew into my car. I tried my best to get him out, and "save" him. Later as I was paying at the cashier, he flew out of my hair. It was amazing...of course I hated to leave him in the store, but had to realize there was nothing I could do. Somehow he seems to be entwined in your piece.

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    1. Thank you, Annell. Love the story of your red dragonfly :)

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  27. Muddy paths make for good poetry. Nice!~

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  28. Wow, Ayala! I really feel this poem. Especially these bits: "The soul delights as it rises through green fields of forgiveness" and "Sins fester inside, imprisoned in our being. We bury them without allowing them wings to fly". Well penned.

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  29. I like the transferences in this poem - enclosures of all kinds - limiting freedom, trapping the malevolent, prevent its escape, preventing the light from entering thus stopping illumination and enlightenment. Powerful piece!

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    1. Thank you, Gay. I appreciate your reflection.

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  30. Amazing all the nuances you incorporated in here about forgiveness - the benefit of confession (not necessarily a religious act), the need to forgive ourselves, the sadness in trapping our 'sins' within us. Very nicely done. I like the depth in this.

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    1. Thank you, Myrna. There is a sadness in trapping the sins within us.

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  31. I agree with zouxzoux, Ayala. Your poem sings the sentiments of life.

    Pamela

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  32. beautifully inspiring, Ayala. and I love the pic of your big, brown-eyed lab. what a loving face!

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    1. Thank you, Jane. Her love is unconditional . :)

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  33. We bind that which would give us freedom....I think we have all sat in this pain. Beautiful piece!

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    1. Thank you, Susie. You are right we have all sat in this pain.

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  34. Many times I have poured my heart and soul out to a friend while sitting in a booth in a restaurant. What a great description. :)

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    1. Thank you, Jenna. A friend like that is a blessing.

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  35. So stunning. What a great metaphor.

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  36. My thoughts and poems too begin as butterflies that I must wrangle!

    We all need an outlet for our worries... our sins... our regrets and so forth. Whether that be in a booth or church confessional, we should let them out so we may be free of them.

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    1. True...when we let them out..we can be free.

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  37. I love this, Ayala! I was stuck in unforgiveness several years ago until it hit me one day that we all need it at one time in our lives. Though the offenses vary, the sentiment is the same. We all need to be forgiven at one point or another. This is a favorite :)

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    1. Thank you, Lori. Sometimes it's not easy to forgive but when we don't we hurt ourselves.

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  38. i wouldn't mind being free to fly like a butterfly...but sometimes it just seems easier to sink into the bottomless ocean of pain.

    Lovely Poem!

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    1. True...sometimes it is easier to sink into the bottomless ocean of pain.

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  39. I don't think anyone lives a life without their share of would have, could have, should haves. Forgiveness of self is vital even if never approached with the other person. Sometimes, that is impossible.

    Well written. It drew me in as though you knew my thoughts. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you, Beth. We all have our demons that translate into one thing or another....

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  40. looking back we might wish to change things, but then who would we be? well written and thought provoking!

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  41. very strong piece. Love how the two sides of the piece mesh together, yet each holding on to it's own personality if you will. All of Us Sinners down, just loved how those lines worked. Great read. thanks

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  42. Lovely reminder, there is no progression without forgiveness. I love the image of movement in this piece, from the butterflies and the thoughts that take flight and the soul rising and the wings to fly. Beautiful. :)

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  43. love this, ayala; the equating of the confessional with the chinese restaurant is brilliant, and each to his own poison of choice...

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  44. Lovely Ayala, "You spill your soul hoping for a new slate" that resonates so much and I love your "green fields of forgiveness".

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  45. Sitting alone in a Chinese restaurant brought confessional back into memory, amazing! Realities come back at odd places! Nicely ayala!

    Hank

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  46. Amazing! Beautifully written and rife with meaning. :)

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  47. The description of the Chinese restaurant/your thoughts while there, strikes strong and deep in this piece -

    In a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco,
    I thought of you.
    Tables in booths with curtains drawn,
    in my mind like confessionals at church, >> these two lines are superb

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  48. love the connection of sins and burying then to dreams dying.

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  49. lovely poetry talented for sure, thanks so much for visiting my blog

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  50. and later we know that the pain has brought us experience, even some satisfaction of having lived through it



    Aloha from Honolulu,

    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^=

    > < } } ( ° >

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  51. Whoa, Ayala, I felt this one in my gut. This line hit me especially hard: "Tables in booths with curtains drawn,
    in my mind like confessionals at church."

    Always a pleasure to read your poetry. xo

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  52. So evocative. Beautiful opening lines, and you built so well on them.

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  53. Wow! Look at all the comments you've received. This is evocative and brilliantly constructed. I loved it.

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  54. Where would we be without forgiveness and grace-- Such a beautiful write.

    You spill your soul hoping for a new slate,
    a new day.

    And with absolution, we get a new day--

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  55. If we are to be forgiven, we must forgive others...including ourselves. Your words play like a symphony, moving us to reach deep inside and collect the best part of ourselves.

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  56. I cannot BELIEVE I read this yesterday and did not leave comment.

    MY OPINION...WARNING!

    Ayala, I do believe in forgiveness, we humans can, in a way, forgive one another. But when God forgives, HE also FORGETS. That's difficult foe some.

    Also I have trouble with the "FORGIVE MYSELF" crowd. It too easy to forgive myself with nary a consequence. GOD forgives me if I am penitent. He alone "knows" the human heart.

    (Last paragraph) I must be ready for God to forgive me, and be READY to accept that. Another human in this equation is also recommended, since it is SO easy to lie (fool) myself. And another human can counsel, and somehow it just FREES me to have it outted(?) with my sponsor. OF COURSE, the amends are also a requisite.

    NOTE: I did not re-read your post, trying to remember. Sorry if sounding like a "teacher" to some. But are we not ALL teachers in some way or other?
    Love and PEACE, Ayala!
    Bye

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