I follow a daily blog of Justin Wise, co-founder of thirdspace coaching in which last week one of his posts referred to a short volume of poetry which I have actually had sitting on my bookcase for ten years.

The address for the article is given here which I recommend to you.

http://justinwise.co.uk/2015/04/09/poetry-to-change-your-life/

The volume of poetry referred to is called “ten poems to change your life” compiled by Roger Housden and in response to this timely article on my journey of self-discovery, I reached for this little volume and I was surprised at my response to the poetry compared to how I had reacted to the poems when I first received the book (as a gift for my 40th birthday).

I noticed that I am far more able, than I was aware of a few years ago, to connect my life to the messages that each of these carefully selected poems had to give.

I connected with some more than others and for example in “Love after Love” by Derek Walcott the following line stirred within me an intense emotion:

“You will love again the stranger who was your self”

Oh, how true, but in order for this to happen, I have had to invest huge energy in being calm and find within me the courage to recognise that those aspects of me that I most feared and rejected are in fact no longer a stranger, but a friend.

and in “For the Anniversary of my Death” by W.S. Merwin this sentence

“Then I will no longer

Find myself in life as in a strange garment”

I don’t know why my friend bought me this book of poems over ten years ago, perhaps it was because I was at a life changing age of 40 at the time, but I suspect that her reasons for doing so, were more her response to my pain which I thought was hidden.

Ten years ago, I could not connect to the stranger within me, but thanks to Justin’s post I have been able to point to a massive progress within my life to befriend the stranger within.

My next blog will be:            Familiarity

William Defoe