Can you understand being alone so long you would go out in the middle of the night and put a bucket into the well so you could feel something down there tug at the other end of the rope?
Jack Gilbert in Refusing Heaven
RESPONSE (for a loved one who wandered too far)
Old age is like an abandoned valley where you have to venture out in the middle of the night to find a well to sink your bucket in search of someone to send it back. Don’t wander far. The well is closer than you imagine.
Yes, I’m thinking the resources we need are closer than we think–it seems to be primarily a matter of believing/trusting that they will be there when we need them.
love this – read it as an attempt of a poetic answer which cannot easily be given when social politics (left) complain about loneliness (social isolation) in old age (I find)
Spirituality Without Borders: Reflections on Spiritual Practice 
Yes, I’m thinking the resources we need are closer than we think–it seems to be primarily a matter of believing/trusting that they will be there when we need them.
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They are…especially if we dive into the well within us. Thank you for your presence here.
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love this – read it as an attempt of a poetic answer which cannot easily be given when social politics (left) complain about loneliness (social isolation) in old age (I find)
LikeLiked by 1 person