Friday, February 01, 2008

Daily Art- What I want








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'What I want'
20" X 16"
Oils on canvas
Finished sides
(painting continues around onto sides)
$55.00 + Shipping
Please Email me HERE for Purchase and a free shipping quote to anywhere in the world.
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The text on the painting reads:
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
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This is just part of one of my favorite poems,
this is only a small part of it, here it is in it's entirety:
The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will
risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets
are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see
Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."
It doesn't interest me
to know where
you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised
to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

© Mountaindreaming, from the book The Invitation published by
HarperSanFrancisco, 1999 All rights reserved
by: Oriah Mountain Dreamer
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It's simple, I just want to know.
Have a great Friday.
Heather
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite inspirational texts! I love the story behind it, how she wrote it after attending a party and feeling disatisfied with the surface interactions.

Wonderful artwork! It is always nice to see the artist's handwriting/printing on a piece ... makes it even more personal.

Heather said...

Thanks so much for coming by Jeannine! I appreciate your words and time. Come back soon!

Kris Cahill said...

Thanks for reminding me of this piece, Heather. It is so true and powerful. An empty conversation is like too much white sugar to me.

Heartaday said...

I like the "x" in her right eye - to signify to not look at the world through your logical, left brain? (Too many art history classes...sorry...lol) It says something to me on a deeper, dream level, though. Not sure what. Just that I feel like that. I'm feeling really sad lately but something about the x-ed out eye gives me a feeling of strength. How wacky is that?

Heather said...

HeartaDay, I am sorry to hear that you are out of sorts. I hope you have sunny inner skies again realy soon. You got it on the nose though, the x-out eye is for that reason exactly. With the words from the poem saying to me that logic is over-rated...it seemed right for her to have to look at the world, ask for what she wants and do it without so much darned logic involved. Lead with the soul.
My best wishes to you friend!

Kris: I know! This poem is one of my favorites because of the words but also the story behind it...but ain't that just the way with art?
It's the story that gets you.
Thansk for being here!