My hiding place – Poem
There is a place I sometimes hide
Where the world out there, stays out there
Or so I tell myself
Really, it’s a place I go to slow things down
Analyze them, tear them apart
Separate them out from the rest
Rebuild them, try to make sense of it all
Where am I headed
What should I do in this situation
Am I on the right track
What makes it right or wrong
Am I making progress or sliding backwards
Life continues to move forward
Sometimes we feel we’ve taken two steps back
But that’s our time, not life’s
Life continues to move forward
And we ride
Sometimes like a bull rider hanging on for dear life
Through eight seconds of adrenalin rush
Waiting for the buzzer
The signal to release our grip
Land our feet on solid ground
Other times like a leaf
Taking the plunge and releasing our grip on mother tree
Free falling into life’s caress
Riding the gentle breeze
Moving without resistance to new places
In both cases there is a point to hang on
And a time for release
Knowing when to do what
Brings me back to my hiding place
My hiding place is not a physical location
It’s a place of mental, spiritual and emotional making
It may be filled with the sound of ocean waves
Rain on a tin roof, music, the howling wind
The sound of silence as I close my eyes to rest
Sometimes what is in stays in
Other times it comes out in poetry
Song, laughter, tears, spoken word
Decisions
Action
You too have a hiding place
Do you know it
Have you ever been there
Do you live there
There is a balance
Extremes on either side are not healthy
Living on the fly without contemplation
Living in a contemplative state with no action to compel you forward
Both can create isolation
One from self
The other from the rest of the world
Used in balance, your hiding place can help you
Make decisions, learn more about yourself
Help you understand others
Help guide your way through life
Welcome to a corner of my hiding place
Stephen Kellogg – 2011
Stephen Kellogg
Stephen Kellogg's Blog 
I think we could all use a “safe” place in our lives–as much as we are able. I love this corner of your hiding place–thanks for sharing.
The Buddha called that place of no extremes, The Middle Way–I like this idea.
Gayle,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. There is much wisdom on many fronts, thanks for sharing…
Peace,
Stephen
I like to think that everyone has this…….. “The sound of silence as I close my eyes” Renewing and refreshing.
Leslie,
Thanks… I like to think so too… Hope you’re able to see the moon tonight… It’s beautiful and full!
Peace,
Stephen
i like the last three paragraphs, esp the third and second to the last: “extremes on either side are not healthy…”, “both can create isolation…”
you know what, when I’m on these extremes, that’s when my poetic juices boils up. it became “the inspiration” in every poem that I wrote.
my hiding place is the same as yours, stephen
great work! 🙂
J.B.
Thanks! I like when people tell what they think about a poem and especially what parts speak to them. I know that I too have some of my poetic juices start to boil with on extremes. Sometimes though, just hearing certain types of music or seeing / hearing certain things can trigger it as well. Other times, I think it may be somewhat like what actors go through… sometimes I can mentally / emotionally “put” myself into a situation and then write from that perspective. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but it helps me write more during the “in-between” times when it’s not just pouring out of me.
I think everyone has a hiding place… they don’t always know how to go there though.
Peace,
Stephen
your welcome! yeah i could relate from those lines stephen, i tend to be on those extremes most of the time, if you only knew haha!
J.B.
Sounds like you may have a lot of good material to inspire your writings 😀
Peace,
Stephen
You wrote this on my birthday :). “But that’s our time not life’s” very nice.
Lizz,
thanks… May is a fantastic month for birthdays 😀
Peace,
Stephen