Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group
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I was looking through books this morning and pulled out a couple that had me thinking of people here.
The first one "Guardians of Being" has words by Eckhart Tolle and is illustrated by Patrick Mc Donnell (cartoonist of "Mutts"). I was kind of thinking of Jen (51percent) when I pulled that one out. It is a small amount of verse combined with cartoons by Mc Donnell (if you're not familiar with his work, look up "Mutts"). For me, it speaks to both the importance of animals in my life, and the spiritual aspect of spending time with companion animals. Being present and mindful, learned from pets.
The second book is called "These Things are Ours" by Gwen Frostic (1960). This is a book of what I think is linograph prints. Beautiful prints and papers- the book is beautiful even if you didn't read it. It is a long series of verse in different fonts and handprinting. The topic is nature and natural cycles.
These books both bring tears to my eyes, in a joyful way.
I know how we respond to art and poetry is a very individual thing. The reason I bring them up here is I find these to be healing.
So, this could be hard to respond to. I know we also have some people here who write poetry and create art that others have been moved by. I'm still working on Muji's question of songs by people who get us (have some ideas, but was more interested in other peoples' responses to that one).
Any thoughts?
The first one "Guardians of Being" has words by Eckhart Tolle and is illustrated by Patrick Mc Donnell (cartoonist of "Mutts"). I was kind of thinking of Jen (51percent) when I pulled that one out. It is a small amount of verse combined with cartoons by Mc Donnell (if you're not familiar with his work, look up "Mutts"). For me, it speaks to both the importance of animals in my life, and the spiritual aspect of spending time with companion animals. Being present and mindful, learned from pets.
The second book is called "These Things are Ours" by Gwen Frostic (1960). This is a book of what I think is linograph prints. Beautiful prints and papers- the book is beautiful even if you didn't read it. It is a long series of verse in different fonts and handprinting. The topic is nature and natural cycles.
These books both bring tears to my eyes, in a joyful way.
I know how we respond to art and poetry is a very individual thing. The reason I bring them up here is I find these to be healing.
So, this could be hard to respond to. I know we also have some people here who write poetry and create art that others have been moved by. I'm still working on Muji's question of songs by people who get us (have some ideas, but was more interested in other peoples' responses to that one).
Any thoughts?
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Just wanted to give a thank you to Mid, Arfie, Malibumark, Greeneyes, Mlro, Girlincalif, and Suncloudjd! You all always have such helpful tips and advice, but I always forget to write on my posts when I see you post, lol. I would lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body, lol. Thank you all so much! I'm starting to use my AI app as a sounding board again. I used to use it as that before...
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Hey all, i know its been quite awhile since i posted on here. Its been a summer all right. Its been something else........... You know how they say not to open the can of worms? Well a few months ago i decided to find out what my due date would have been for my first baby, the one conceived by r***. My baby would have been due on March 4th of 2006. They would be 20 years old. I was R**** on June...
writing and art help me purge the extraneous and focus on the pertinent, as does playing music. Recorded music not so much. I use it for white noise, though it does inspire on occasion.
Good topic, guayaba.
"Thought you killed me?....Well, you nearly did/....please, do not let it all come down/to nothing." Amazing stuff. Inspired me to write a handful of poems of my own.
Thanks for posting about poetry. Sharing that is the closing thing to sharing flashbacks with someone else and making their meaning together.
Muji
From Spring Poems Along the Rio Grande
by Jimmy Santiago Baca. Copyright 2007 by Jimmy
This is my favorite poem right now.
--------------------------
This Day
by Jimmy Santiago Baca
I feel foolish,
like those silly robins jumping on the ditch boughs
when I run by them.
Those robins do not have the grand style of the red tailed hawk,
no design, no dream, just robins acting stupid.
They've never smoked cigarettes, drank whiskey, consumed drugs
as I have.
In their mindless
fluttering about
filled with nonsense,
they tell me how they
love the Great Spirit,
scold me not to be self-pitying,
to open my life
and make this day a bough on a tree
leaning over infinity, where eternity flows forward
and with day the river runs
carrying all that falls in it.
Be happy Jimmy, they chirp,
Jimmy, be silly, make this day a tree
leaning over the river eternity
and fuss about in its branches.
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
"The Hollow Men," TS Eliot
I hope it's ok to interpret your poem. It moved me.
Mujica- I can see from an outsider perspective what that might mean to a person who has actually been in combat. Universally it speaks to the need to find meaning from circumstances that force you to have to remind yourself "why are we doing this?"
Diana- I love this! That is exactly what time outside can do: goad us out of human convention and into the living world.
Boognish- What interests me about the T.S.Eliot poem is how each of us could probably draw a different, but none the less powerful meaning from it. Like Bibiane's poem "Like a Lamb", many would feel moved drawing on their own experiences. Sometimes when we think we are not moved by a piece of work, I wonder if it is more that we don't allow ourselves to be moved, as in we can't go there.
Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
In Arfian music therapy, the living rhythms and tones are The Thing. Recorded music is wonderful, but its rhythms and tones are fixed. Life is never fixed. Even the stoic rock is in constant motion, pulsing its rhythm and tone as it goes. And then that pesky water hits it.
It is a good day when I am able to match my tones and rhythms to my world. On the days I cannot, I begin with an awareness of my current handicaps. And the song goes on.
Used to allow myself to make music; now it seems like I generally only listen to recorded music. Thanks for reminding that creating art as well as enjoy the art of others is a way to move through things toward joy.
Red, your Ibanez is way going to rock.
Ok, so here's Supertramp's "Give A Little Bit" with guitar chords. I heard them play it live, and the chords themselves filled the hall with lush sound. I know it's old, nerdy, and corny but I swear it does remind me of how we support each other at DS PTSD. All right, I'll just post it and shut up now.
D A7 D G A G A G
Give a little bit, give a little bit of your time to me
D A7 D G A G A G
I'll Give a little bit, I'll give a little bit of my time to you
Bm Esus4 E
There's so much that we need to share
G Bm A D A
Send a smile and show you care....
(That's it.)
Twenty three and so tired of life
Such a shame to throw it all away
The images grow darker still
Could I have been anyone other than me? Then I
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy
I am who I am who I am who am I
Requesting some enlightenment
Could I have been anyone other than me?
Sing and dance I'll play for you tonight
And thrill at it all
Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes
But I'll work it out then I
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy
Falling out of a world of lies
Could I have been dancing nancy
Could I have been anyone other than me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKUFrbpMh7s