Most recently, I have been turning over in my mind this image from Luci Shaw's poem, "The Door, The Window."*
"The minutes / wear me away--a transparent bar of glycerin soap, / a curved amber lozenge dissolving in daily basins of water."
I like the combination of beauty and utility in this image as well as the passing of time marked by the wearing thin of a bar of soap.
This image will stay with me for a long time.
As a retired English teacher turned gerontologist, I favor an interdisciplinary approach to aging. Not only do I read scientific studies from the social sciences and health field, I also value the work of poets and other artists--film makers, playwrights, novelists, painters, choreographers, and so forth.
I believe it's vital to bring the perspective of the humanities to discussions about aging. In fact, I find myself purposely seeking balance in how I regard aging. If I read far too long from novels featuring older adults, I will seek out evidence-based research. If I spend a days and days reading only from textbooks and peer-reviewed scholarly articles by scientists, I will soon seek out a film, a novel, a poem to give me a more humanizing view of the aging issue I'm studying.
Better yet, I do well to put aside all of these cultural objects so that I can spend time directly with someone decades older than I. When I do this, I think of Walt Whitman's poem:
Even though I have been an avid reader for decades, my attention is just now turning towards literary works that focus on aging. I wonder if anyone has an anthology of poems by various authors on the topic?
Luci Shaw joins May Sarton on my emerging list. I will have to keep an eye open.
* Shaw, Luci. "The Door, The Window," in The Angles of Light (Colorado Springs / Waterbrook, 2000), p. 61.
Related:
May Sarton: Poet
The Ultimate Performance Art: Love
You are so cerebral and I am in awe of your thought processes and how you act on what you are thinking. Don't laugh! Not everyone does that, in fact I'm sure not many do at all. It was marvelous to follow along with you, and I am so glad I read this post. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteSorry about being a bit cerebral. Occupational hazard, but really I live in my head a lot and have since I was very young. I need to work harder to join the human race. There are so many nice people living outside of my head! Thanks for stopping by to comment.
DeleteIf Mary Oliver isn't on your list, add her as well. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteKim: I keep hearing people rave about Mary Oliver. I admit that I don't read many living poets. I need to expand my horizons. Thanks for the nudge.
DeleteI'm not sure if this is pertinent, but why is it that so many of the threatening characters in Children's literature are OLD women? The witch. The Hag. The Evil Queen?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that "scary old lady" image weird? I have a tag on "crones" that intersects a bit with your observation--more towards reclaiming the image and remaking it to be more positive. Thanks for noticing that problem. It's obnoxious.
DeleteI am wondering the same thing as Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you know about Kenneth J. Gergen's Taos Institute about Positive Ageing. It is something I always find enlightening.
ReplyDeleteInes: No, I haven't read of Kenneth J. Geron's institute. That's sounds amazing. I'll check it out.
DeleteOoh, I'm going to look up more of Luci Shaw now. I love that image of the soap, too. And I totally agree with Kim's suggestion - I actually have a Mary Oliver poem on my blog today. She just says things so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteMore invitations to read Mary Oliver. I think this is going to happen soon!
DeleteThere are so many great poets and writers, but Mary Oliver is a great choice.
ReplyDeleteI'm always intrigued by Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray. (The subject of aging is fascinating, and I think it's only natural to work our way through the topic--from various points of view.)
It is interesting to see the variety of ways artists use aging to symbolize elements of the human psyche. I haven't thought about Wilde's novel in these terms. Thanks for pointing out the connection.
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