I am one of these,
One of those who fights to flee,
From whom?
From them,
From us,
From me,
From dreary caverns of captivity,
For while in blissful thrills I tread I know not of the slightest dread,
But irking inklings do beset my mind with troubling suspicion,
And as soon as joy hath come it has left,
And in the void I lie bereft,
Trudging,
Crawling,
Stalling,
Gripped,
By loneliness and cold descents,
The kind that permeate the flesh,
The mind,
The soul,
The will,
The sense.
Man In Progress – by Ernesto Sarabia
Image Credit
Painting is by Ernesto Sarabia – All Rights Reserved
Guest Author Bio
Ernesto Sarabia
Ernesto is a writer, painter, musician, poet and amateur philosopher. He grew up in South Central Los Angeles during the 90’s and attended Catholic elementary, middle and High School. He attended the University of California at Santa Barbara but was unable to complete his business economics degree after suffering a traumatic brain injury during the summer before his Senior year in 2010. Although he has endured much struggle throughout his recovery from his brain injury he still maintains a positive attitude and hopes to one day be able to help others who face similar circumstances so that they may find strength and encouragement through reading about his life experiences.
This whole conversation makes me smile! Really lovely painting and poem, Ernesto. I’m also loving the connection that has developed between you, Ross and Gil. I suspect you’re getting a taste of what Life As A Human is all about 😉 Are you able to provide the title of Ross’s article that you refer to? I would love to read it. Looking forward to more of your work! Thanks for the smile, everyone…
Hi Carol
It is: Was Charlie Parker Following His Bliss?
https://lifeasahuman.com/2014/mind-spirit/psychology/was-charlie-parker-following-his-bliss/
Cheers,
Gil
Hello,
Beautiful poetry and painting. Your painting reminded me of Picasso actually. Stunning colors and shapes.
I work in an elementary school in Canada and one of our Dad’s here suffered a terrible brain injury when he was young. He was a skier and he was in France I believe skiing when the car he was in was in a horrific accident. Now he speaks and has traveled with a group to talk about brain injury and brain health. His name is Sean Pothier. I am inspired by both of you for your insight and hard work and compassion. Thank you for sharing!
Ernesto: You are truly a revelation and an inspiration. The poem is beautiful on so many levels, and the painting is a startling invitation to linger and to ponder. Please give us more.
Hi Ernesto,
I totally agree with Ross!
Thank you for this and know our pages are always open to you 🙂
Cheers,
Gil
Gil,
You’re an amazing human being. Thank you for putting this beautiful resource at the world’s fingertips. I will be back not only to share but to read and browse as long as you keep it going!
Hi Ernesto,
Thank you for your kind words. I do my best!
Looking forward to what comes next 😉
Cheers,
Gil
I owe it all to your article, Ross. It really sparked something inside my mind. You know, so often when I find myself in dire straits I ask myself, “Who cares to know what I am going through?”. The fact that you chose to explore that subject and pose the questions that you did in your article really made me feel as though there are people out there that choose to observe and reflect upon the tribulations that others face not to make a spectacle of them but to truly seek out answers that may shed light and wisdom for all involved. I felt as though you reached out to try to grasp something so unknown and mysterious in such a way that it made me aware of how vital it is for all of humanity to continue to engage in that very same type of compassionate and genuinely concerned dialogue which can help us all inch just a little bit closer towards a greater understanding of each other’s significance, importance and contributions in this wonderful journey that we call life. And I am very glad to be able to offer a little window into a little world of emotion and thought that so many have trekked before me. I’ll try to get inspired and offer a little snippet of inspiration and insight again soon; you can count on it! Thank you, Ross!