After a nine month hiatus, I am relaunching Memory, the side of Poetry & Process where we come together to memorize poems. I have missed this practice deeply, and have decided to invite you back into this intimate space with me. You will receive a new Memory newsletter on the first of each month, followed by periodic readings or musings on this poem throughout the month on Substack Notes.
We memorize to engrain words of meaning into our minds, bodies and beings that offer their companionship. While each life is unique, the situations we encounter and the emotions we face have been felt by many who have walked before us. Poems we know deeply can speak what we need to hear at the most opportune times.
For the month of September, we turn our attention to a poem that in a few, brief words, slowly and gradually explores the depths of grief…
The Well of Grief by David Whyte
Spoken:
Text:
Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief,
turning down through its black water
to the place we cannot breathe,
will never know the source from which we drink,
the secret water, cold and clear,
nor find in the darkness glimmering,
the small round coins,
thrown by those who wished for something else.
Video:
The Poet:
If you are interested in more from David Whyte, he has a thriving poetry community. My favorite ways to engage in his work are foremost through his books and then through his Three Sundays gatherings. You can learn more about David and his work on his website.
Make this experience your own, choosing how you approach the poem’s content, your memorization process, and connect with me in Substack Notes throughout the month!
I look forward to our conversation!
Brian