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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Barriers


Like blue, purple is another color that makes me feel a sense of calmness when I'm working with it. I hold this color in high regards and almost feel bad when using it. Like I'm not worthy or something! Crazy, I know. For more, check out this "purplicious" treasury that was on the front page of etsy earlier today.

Aside from revealing my 2 latest purple creations, I'd intended to post this long dissertation about me and how I relate to mainstream fashion. However, I'm feeling a bit more random at this very moment and have decided to do something different. It'll be just as long, just on a different subject.

Once upon a time I wrote poetry, and it was quite often done at the most sporadic moments, on whatever writeable surface I could readily get my hands on (and wouldn't get persecuted for writing on)...an old receipt, a napkin, in the margins oe back cardboard part of a school notebook, whatever. It wasn't necessarily "good" poetry, but it was reflective of the sentiments I needed to express at the time, no matter the subject.

Yesterday I was on the phone with my mother and she was telling my how it seems that the fly population has tripled up there in the last month. They're everywhere. She mentioned how they get in her car when she opens the door and then fly to the windows and "buzz, buzz, buzz" as though asking to be let out and not understand the big thing that stands between then and their freedom. That reminded me of a poem I once wrote.


It was May 2005, and I was a few weeks away from graduating college. For whatever reason, I was feeling sort of melancholy on one particular day as I sat near a window on the third floor of the university library. Despite my "blahness" and the fact that no information was really being absorbed, I was looking over notes for an upcoming exam. In the process I kept hearing something buzzing near me. Looking up, I realized that it was a wasp going from one end of the window to the other. Looking down, my attention was drawn to another wasp lying dead on the floor. In an instant these are the thoughts that came to me:


I can almost feel the cool breeze as it moves through my wings
the clouds seem so peaceful passing by
and where am I ?
trapped.
bound.
lost.
I dig and buzz and fly to no avail
it won't move, this big massive hindrance
I don't understand!
so close, yet so far away
I pace and pace
trying to devise a plan
trying to figure out a way back into my world.
nothing.

I guess I'll just rest
what else is there to do in this quiet, still place?
no wind blows through here
there are no trees
no sunshine
no life..at least none for me
could this be the end?
what else is there to do?
my energy is gone
the torture is unbearable

please take me with you when you go
perhaps you might know the way to my freedom
yeah...maybe you can set my free
free to fly through the cool breeze
among those I know so well.
but for now I rest..and wait.



It's sort of sad and hopeless, and I looked back at this a year after it was written and realized that the insect was symbolic of me and the thoughts expressed were ones that I was having at that time, on a more subconscious level. At that moment, me and that wasp were one. Seriously. Excuse the randomness of this all.

Ok, but according to Tea and Honey Bread, today is about positivity, not blahness or sadness. This Sunday's Shutter Click and Chat Theme:

Gratitude
I'm so grateful for so much, including all you wonderful people who read my blog. But on a more tangible and recently occuring note...




The above package contains this dress:




In early August I shipped the garment to someone in Germany. Over a month later I received a message from her saying she hadn't received the package and that she'd returned to her home in Ireland. We assumed the package took a while to go through customs or something before she could get it. Figuring that the dress would eventually make it back to me, she provided me with her address in Ireland and said she'd pay shipping to have it sent there once I got it. The thing about it was that I was pretty skeptical that I'd get it back. My experiences with postal services domestically and internationally haven't necessarily been bad. They've been quite satisfactory actually. Yet, I just was feeling doubtful about this situation. It made me sadder considering that I'm very proud of the dress and wanted someone to have it and love it as much as I do. I didn't want it to just be floating around out there in the world! (Or for someone else to just take it as their own. )

So y'all can imagine my urge to turn backwards flips (if only I could) when the mailman showed up at my door this past Friday, October 31, to hand over my well traveled dress...complete with stickers and writing that I can't understand the least bit. I assume they say such things as, "Undeliverable,"Wrong Address," "Send it back to the lady on R--- Street in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA who's been wondering about it for nearly 3 months now!!!"

I'm so grateful for the return of this package and the efficiency of postal services world wide. Yeah, they screw up sometimes. But when they get it right, oh the joy ! :-D

Now on to Ireland it goes...


peace

14 comments:

Unknown said...

That dress is beautiful and what a lovely surprise to have it returned! I am glad that you are no longer "one with the wasp." I think we all of feelings like that at some point or another.

Debra said...

I love the second dress....the long one!!

Glad to hear you got your package back.
Have a great Sunday.

Barbara said...

Beautiful poem. Those words are very much at home with me. I am hoping to find my freedom soon.

The dress is equally as beautiful and I am glad that it found its way back to you so that it can find its way to its new home. It kind of reminded me of Cast Away, when Tom Hanks delivered that package that had been lost along with him.

T.Allen said...

The wasp, you, me-we've all been there. That place where everything and nothing is evident. I enjoyed your poem.

Your package arrival is GREAT news as I wait impatiently on word from Latvia and a missing one of a kind item! Thanks for participating!

High Desert Diva said...

It doesn't surprise me that you write poetry as well...thanks for sharing your poem. I know I've felt the same, but eloquence is not my strong suit.



Hooray for the return of the lost dress...on to Ireland!

tatsuko said...

thank-you for sharing that poem - I still feel like that at times...

glad the dress is on its way once again to its owner - how cool is that?

Anonymous said...

I love that purplicious shot. Your hair looks so fly. I to really dig the color purple (i guess I can intend this pun since the color purple is one of my faves). The dress is modestly sexy.

please sir said...

So fun - love the blue and purple!!

Breath of Light said...

lovely purple! you are killing me with the tunic sis!

A Cuban In London said...

Good luck this time :-).

Greetings from London.

Lite }{ said...

"purple is 'the new basic' instead of black".... this what I was telling a client I was styling...also it's like pink's rebellious cousin, lol It's an un-pink, if you will...loves it! }{
www.litefreedomariposas.com

Juli said...

I think there is no real randomness in life, each thing happens as it should and everything is timed just right. Almost always :)

That dress, from the US to Germany back to the US and on to Ireland is about the prettiest piece of clothing I've ever seen.

Unknown said...

that first dress is AMAZING...and you made it?!?!?! love it.

Marie said...

How lucky you are! I once received a package from Germany, except that the mailman put it in my neighbour's box instead of mine, and my *stupid* neighbour brought it back to the post office instead of looking at the names on the box RIGHT NEXT to his grrr
Well the package apparently never made it back to Germany :( and never to me either :-(

Love that purple tunic by the way, you look beautiful in it!