Friday Lunchtime Reading Group, 2 June

Moderator: Jaya Narayan

All of us are born with a wise voice that can spontaneously express itself to the world. As an infant, we communicate our needs, likes and dislikes very articulately without the use of words just trusting our inner voice.

As we encounter life growing up, this voices often becomes feeble. We internalise the voice of the significant people in our life telling us what to do or the voice of the culture that dictates the rules of life. Even fears and past failures find a voice in our life. All these combined become “my” voice with its unique tone, texture, accent and strength.

Amidst so much noise, how do we reclaim "my" inner voice?

I present below a poem on this theme for our next lunchtime reading group

The Journey

by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice-

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

“Mend my life!”

each voice cried.

But you didn’t stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do-

determined to save

the only life you could save.

Jaya Narayan is an advanced trainee at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne. She practices expressive art for self discovery and personal growth in behavioural coaching and group work.

Her Blog : https://potentialunlimitedblog.wordpress.com