One Single Impression‘s invitation this time around is for ‘kindness’ – when I read that and the quotes from Kikaku and Basho, I had no idea what I could contribute. It took looking at whypaisley’s post to arrive at an inspiration, albeit an oblique one.
But I can’t find it in myself
To let my kindness go
I just can’t let it go …
This is, some readers might recognize it, a variation of three lines out of Jesse Winchester’s song My songbird – (“But I can’t find it in myself / To let my songbird go / I just can’t let her go”).
I often find that kindness is my first impulse, but then my questioning brain sets in, and the impulse is all that happens…
Here’s a video of Emmylou Harris performing the song:
i know exactly how you feel… sometimes i want to feel it,, i want to be it,, i really do… it just isn’t in me… excellent take on
the prompt… thanks for the nod!!
thrz no one like ELH… she sings like a songbird.. beautiful words regardless who speaks.. what is it that stops one from letting go and living..
James, I love your takeoff. And the ELH song. Thank you for sharing. Also thank you for commenting on my “impression.” I’ve been incommunicado for the last 3 days – no internet access. It should be fixed today…let’s hope!
when it is released
makes its way back to the heart
but three times as strong
I am with you on this. Kindness comes first but I know it can embarass the receivers so sometimes I stop. I do find it hard, however…
Love the sense of fragment in your thoughts. You have captured that onerous split second deciding if “wanting” and “should” are enough “to do”. So often many of us go through those tussles.
At times, I admit the “should” drives me to acts of kindness. But is that really in the spirit of what kindness is all about? Sometimes I don’t feel conditioning is a good reason for kindness.
Great poem!
Gemma