The companionship of like-minded beings,
managing ropes, sails, decks, cleaning, maintaining,
eating, sleeping, learning,
contained in a vessel of awesome proportions.
Half-way up the mast, the view is changed,
the deck below much smaller than it seemed.
Half-way up the mast, sea, sky, wind,
a single mind, a new perspective.
Photo courtesy of Richard Sibley tallshipsgallery.co.uk
There is a gazebo at the end of the garden. It overlooks the estuary. When the tide is in, sea water pools around seaweed covered rocks. The sound is peaceful, meditative. I drink an early morning coffee, listen to the birds singing morning songs, watch a spider spin his fragile life between timber beams above my head. Even in the harshest of winters, the rise and fall of tides, sun-light on water, movement of sky, cloud, moon and stars, allows an awareness of nature behind the mask of perceived reality. I offer my words and pictures in celebration and gratitude to God, for allowing me a glimpse behind the mask.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio: Teri Flynn was born in Wales of Welsh and Irish Parents. Educated in England, she moved to Co.Waterford, Ireland in 1997 where her Poetry has since appeared in “The Turning Tide” – an anthology of new writing from Co.Waterford. “Southward” The Journal of the Munster Literature Centre and “Imagine” The Tallow Writers Group quarterly review. Her poetry appears in “Sticky Orchard”, a group effort with Alan Garvey, Jim O’Donnell and Anthony O’Neill and grant assisted by Waterford County Council’s Arts Grant Scheme. “Listening To The Grass Grow” with Jim O’Donnell and Anthony O’Neill was published by Edward Power at Rectory press and most recently, in ‘Murmurings’, Remembering Anthony O’Neil, with Jim O’Donnell and Alan Garvey.
Her poem Queen Of The Sea was included in the Chesapeake Exhibition at RUH, Bath, 2011. Figurehead Carver, Andy Peters. Photographic display of Ship’s Figurehead Carvings by Richard Sibley – http://www.tallshipsgallery.com
A themed display of her oil paintings and poems entitled Cynefin, were on display in Waterford during The Imagine Festival in 2017. Cynefin-pronounced kuh-nev-in is a Welsh word meaning habitat or place. A place where a being feels it ought to live, where nature around you feels right and welcoming.
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14 Comments
Teri, I find this alluring in so many ways. There is a “aboveness” to all that goes on in our lives, a rising above to see what really matters, getting out of our own head and into the fresh air. What happens below is necessary of course, but it’s all part of a more glorious and life-giving reatity.
Tom, thank you for your insight to my words, sometimes, even though I know in my heart what I mean, it takes someone else to point it out to me. I’m always grateful for your wisdom.
Reblogged this on Tall Ships Gallery and commented:
From the Masked Native – Life on the Waterford estuary and the realities of sailing an 18th century Swedish East Indiaman, maybe the Gotheborg will visit Ireland one day
Thank you for starting my day with an expansive and expanding piece, Teri. You refresh and inspire. Especially love how you use the spaces of our lives-a garden, a corridor, a ship and its mast, the sea-to plumb their wisdom and beauty and share with us. A practice of cultivating and shifting perpective. xo
Thank you ST, and like you, one never knows when the inspiration to capture those spaces will make it’s presence known, and always a shift of perspective.
Lovely post of the joy of interconnection, a united effort and kindred spirits, juxtaposed with a shift in perspective. Two worlds are beautifully reflected.
Living and working on board ship needs team work. Wonderful words, and may Humanity also find Unity and a new perspective to view the word..
Love and Blessings
Sue
Teri, I find this alluring in so many ways. There is a “aboveness” to all that goes on in our lives, a rising above to see what really matters, getting out of our own head and into the fresh air. What happens below is necessary of course, but it’s all part of a more glorious and life-giving reatity.
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Tom, thank you for your insight to my words, sometimes, even though I know in my heart what I mean, it takes someone else to point it out to me. I’m always grateful for your wisdom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Tall Ships Gallery and commented:
From the Masked Native – Life on the Waterford estuary and the realities of sailing an 18th century Swedish East Indiaman, maybe the Gotheborg will visit Ireland one day
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Always a new perspective…always. Thanks, Teri, for the lovely insight.
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Thank you for reading my post Virgilio.
How wonderful it is to continually find other ways of seeing.
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seeing with an open heart.
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Thank you for starting my day with an expansive and expanding piece, Teri. You refresh and inspire. Especially love how you use the spaces of our lives-a garden, a corridor, a ship and its mast, the sea-to plumb their wisdom and beauty and share with us. A practice of cultivating and shifting perpective. xo
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Thank you ST, and like you, one never knows when the inspiration to capture those spaces will make it’s presence known, and always a shift of perspective.
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vantage points
~
different views
of interpretation
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Out of the forest for a while
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exploring
~
green
and
blue
~
including
all colours
of life
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Lovely post of the joy of interconnection, a united effort and kindred spirits, juxtaposed with a shift in perspective. Two worlds are beautifully reflected.
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Thank you, your comment is very much appreciated. Look forward to reading your blog posts too.
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Living and working on board ship needs team work. Wonderful words, and may Humanity also find Unity and a new perspective to view the word..
Love and Blessings
Sue
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