New York City in Miniature
(Shenzhen, China)
February, month six of healing
March, April, May to go...
The Solutions to a Broken Heart:
Acupuncture
Massage
Another Love
Food
Pets
Travel
Writing
Talking
Hiding
Sleeping
Running
Yelling
Venting
Vegging
Retreating
Other people's heart break stories
Music
Poetry
Cooking
Shopping
Organizing
Working
Dreaming
Walking
Collecting
Erasing
Remembering
Dissecting
Forgetting
Time
Letting go for your own health...
I would like to introduce you to my very special friend Poppy and
her poem that moved me beyond words.
Poppy Toland
I wanted to be your pet
I wanted to be your pussycat
And spend evenings curled up on your lap
But you told me you couldn’t stand cat hair
And your door didn’t suit a cat flap
I suggested being your sparrow
But you grumbled they’re much too chirpy
You worried my singsong wake up call
Would cut your sleep far too early
I offered to be a little red squirrel
Nestled behind your door
You shuddered to imagine those scuttling paws
Against your pinewood floors
So I asked to be your turtle instead
Living in my mobile place
You said I’d only hold you back
That small legs wouldn’t handle your pace
I asked to reside in your window box
A ladybird playing on your greens
You find creepy-crawlies offensive you say
Too many legs - just not your thing
Now you’re saying you just don’t like critters
And certainly not in your home
How I’d be better taking my menagerie off
And trying to go it alone
I realised whilst trying to be cute for you
With my fur and my wings and my whiskers
You’d reasoned we belong to insurmountably different
Phylum, and genus and species
So I took it all with me -
Heavy shell, all those feathers, every flea
Tail between legs, I slunk out of your life
And left you - free of animals and free of me.
I wanted to be your pet
I wanted to be your pussycat
And spend evenings curled up on your lap
But you told me you couldn’t stand cat hair
And your door didn’t suit a cat flap
I suggested being your sparrow
But you grumbled they’re much too chirpy
You worried my singsong wake up call
Would cut your sleep far too early
I offered to be a little red squirrel
Nestled behind your door
You shuddered to imagine those scuttling paws
Against your pinewood floors
So I asked to be your turtle instead
Living in my mobile place
You said I’d only hold you back
That small legs wouldn’t handle your pace
I asked to reside in your window box
A ladybird playing on your greens
You find creepy-crawlies offensive you say
Too many legs - just not your thing
Now you’re saying you just don’t like critters
And certainly not in your home
How I’d be better taking my menagerie off
And trying to go it alone
I realised whilst trying to be cute for you
With my fur and my wings and my whiskers
You’d reasoned we belong to insurmountably different
Phylum, and genus and species
So I took it all with me -
Heavy shell, all those feathers, every flea
Tail between legs, I slunk out of your life
And left you - free of animals and free of me.
***
Phil Collins
Against All Odds
How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me,
when all I can do is watch you leave
Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now, oh there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me,
just the memory of your face
Ooh take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against the odds and that's what I've got to face
I wish I could just make you turn around,
turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you,
so many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now, cos there's just an empty space
But to wait for you, is all I can do and that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now, cos I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've gotta take
Take a look at me now
Against All Odds
How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me,
when all I can do is watch you leave
Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now, oh there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me,
just the memory of your face
Ooh take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against the odds and that's what I've got to face
I wish I could just make you turn around,
turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you,
so many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now, cos there's just an empty space
But to wait for you, is all I can do and that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now, cos I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've gotta take
Take a look at me now
[Now go listen to it and The Postal Service version]
you won't regret the aching feelings it brings on...
we can share a moment together thinking of how
we love heartbreak more than the heartbreakers.
XXX
SJ
Beijing, 2009
