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Beth Patterson

Host, Virtual Tea House

one’s too many and a hundred's not enough

 

The hubris

   of assuming that

   with wings of mortality

I could reach immortality.

Or satisfaction.

Or peace.

Icarus’ folly is my lineage.

 

The Descent is alive and well

   and lives

   ever present

   as I hit the ground after a swan dive through a plate glass window

   leaving a person-sized hole.*

 

*from a dream fragment I'm working with

 

One Single Impression prompt this week is: Icarus.  Thanks to Titanium of Element 22 who suggested this week's prompt.

Published Sunday, June 06, 2010 7:04 PM by Beth Patterson

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Comments

 

Brenda said:

Strong unexpected ending...don't know why I didn't expect it exactly.  But it shocked me!  Maybe the tension from alive and well to the person sized hole....

Well done!

June 6, 2010 8:28 PM
 

Tumblewords said:

Ouch, doesn't the myth just fly right into the face of reality? Excellent piece.

June 6, 2010 9:57 PM
 

Harshad said:

You did reach satisfaction & peace.  Isn't it?

June 7, 2010 6:15 AM
 

Terri said:

Jarring, in a good way.  Love, Terri

June 7, 2010 8:25 AM
 

Sweetest in the Gale said:

The ending took me from fantasy to reality very quickly -- very clever take on the prompt!

June 7, 2010 8:58 AM
 

Ramesh Sood said:

Very well written.. I could heart the sounds of  the shattering glass...

June 7, 2010 9:01 AM
 

Rallentanda said:

Mad! Ha. I like the person sized hole.

June 7, 2010 10:04 AM
 

SisterJulia said:

From such ethereal and conceptual first half through such a clear hard ending really lands this with impact!

Sad to consider satisfaction and peace outside the realms of mortality.

Love

June 7, 2010 10:18 AM
 

gautami said:

June 7, 2010 12:46 PM
 

SandyCarlson said:

That window--I know the smack!

June 7, 2010 9:32 PM
 

christine said:

I felt myself kind of wanting to duck here.  :) Wow, Beth. This is really a great image.

June 9, 2010 10:33 PM

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About Beth Patterson

The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.

With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 30 years in end of life care and child abuse intervention and advocacy.

Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.

I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.

Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.

Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.

Follow me on Twitter, if you must
http://twitter.com/MyraB

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