Endurance

[harvest_table]

Endurance-Fran Portley

We women who have lived
through many winters
are sisters to mountain flowers
found in rocky crevices
high in the Alps.

Hardened by wind and snow
we endure cold
absorb brief sun
reach long roots
to meager sustenance
lift bright blossoms to empty air.


Love,
Joanna

[moremuscle]

Hi Joanna,

It is 5:30 am and I am reading this - it it lovely poetry. I will take these words with me as I venture into the cold and dark this morning for an early morning run starting at 6:00. I am usually not up at this hour but I need to get used to running early since my race starts at 6:30 am - coming up pretty soon now.

You know; poetry like that, even though it is meant to be inclusive, makes me feel inadequate in some ways; surely I am not nearly as tough as those other sisters of ours who live in tough climates and/or circumstances of life. I am thinking of women who don't have running water, electricity, refrigerators, convenience stores, etc. Those are the women that come to mind when reading your selected poem; those women are like the flowers that bloom briefly among rocks and reach into the empty air. I will think of those women as I run in my high tech sneakers this morning.

Love,
Karen

[JJ]

Beautiful Joanna! JJ

[Liz]

I think of some of my friends & relations who have lived through some very tough times with many hardships & still come through with a smile & kindness to those around them. Your poem reminds me of them. Thank you.

Love Liz

[harvest_table]

That poem is from a book my Mother gave me last year for my 50th birthday. It's full of of poetry and inspirational stories about aging. It's called: When I am an OLD WOMAN I shall wear purple. Edited my Sandra Martz.

For me, that poem reads so true. I'm living it. It makes me feel strong and proud of growing older, becoming seasoned, attached to our earth and branching out (or something silly like that) and believe me, I have lived a priviledged life in so many ways. At least, we have running water!

Karen, I have been thinking about you and the physical and mental training you have been doing in preperation for the marathon. ( I know, it's a 1/2) I sure couldn't do it but you have inspired me to be more active on a daily basis if no more than to go to Curves a couple times a week. Here is another snipet from the book I'd like to share.

Athlete Growing Old
Grace Butcher

The caution is creeping in:
the step is hesitant
from years of pain:
a soft grunt bends the body over,
and straightens it.
The skin loosens: everything moves
nearer to the ground.

To overcome the softening,
the yearning towards warmth,
she exercises,
makes her muscles hard,
runs in the snow,
asks herself when she is afraid,
"What would you do now if
you were not afraid?"

She listens for the answer
and tries to be
like that person who speaks,
who lives just outside
all her boundaries
and constantly calls her
to come over, come over.

I'm quite a bit older than you and can really relate to this one. Good Luck on the Marathon Karen...were rooting for ya!

Love,
Joanna