Borrowing words of others
In today’s post we share the work of other artists that have piqued our interest over the last month. These poems and quotes are inspiring us to write from the heart.
As we have all started to disappear behind our phones, this poem calls out the need for authentic connection with our loved ones.
The iconic Indian actress from the 70s - Zeenat Aman took Instagram by storm last year. And for a reason. Her posts are thought provoking and real. Following her on that platform has been a nice way to get to know this glamorous woman from old Bollywood.
When one is young the years ahead stretch out in an endlessly forking road of possibilities. Old age seems a distant, near mythical destination. Then one morning you wake up groggy with creaking joints, and you realise you’re here. That it was never a long journey, youth just made you perceive it to be so. That on a planet that is 4.5 billion years old you have snatched a fleeting moment of consciousness. Now you’re old and there’s no going back.
And what is there to show for a life well-lived? Surely it cannot be the frivolous pursuit of clothes or electronics or money or what have you. Yes, these can occupy and enable our lives to an extent, but what a tragedy if they were to define them. The only measure of meaning I can find is in the weight of the relationships we nurture. To have evoked love, beauty, camaraderie, gratitude, compassion, tenderness. And in turn to have these invoked in oneself.
Life is short. Take it from an old lady. Build your bridges, offer your apologies, speak your gratitude, express your love, grant forgiveness where it’s due…
I [Kinnari] can always count on Mary Oliver to help me slow things down, to turn to nature and be an observer.
“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.”
- Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
This quote is a reminder to practice sitting still, especially when we want our true Self to emerge - something that I [Mitali] am struggling with these days.
A couple of weeks ago, while transiting through San Francisco airport, this quote in the window of a bookstore displayed alongside a replica of an old wooden printing press caught my [Mitali] attention. It is how I feel about sharing my words here on Disco Dialogues.
I couldn't find a definitive attribution for the quote online. Google’s AI chatbot - Gemini attributed it to William Caxton, the first English printer who is credited with introducing the printing press to England in 1476. Interestingly, when I challenged it - as the attribution at the store was to Friederich Schiller, a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian from the late 18th century - the AI bot took the easy way out and told me to call the store to find out more.😀
I [Kinnari] watched this young poet - Whitney Hanson - recite this beautiful poem and I immediately thought of my daughter. Little A is only five years old and I can already see her eagerness to please everyone, especially us - her parents.
Love this blog. Being present, taking time to notice things around - quotes