Guest House | Writing and Healing

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein

Posted by Diane Morrow on February 14, 2012 in Blog, Guest House, Healing Books

It’s not quite a poem. Shel Silverstein’s book is more like a fable, but with shapes instead of tortoises or rabbits. Perhaps you’ve read it at one time or another. For some reason I’ve missed it all these years and just recently was delighted to come across it. In the animated version I’ve embedded here, there’s this lovely piano music and it adds to the sense of whimsy and lightness as you watch it unfold—the journey of the missing piece. Sometimes fables can be heavy but this one doesn’t feel heavy to me. It has a wonderful lightness and humor and makes me want to read more of Silverstein than I already have. So much of this story I love—he gets the small moments just right—but I suppose my favorite moment is that moment right smack in the middle when the story shifts. I read recently that John Gardner once said there are only two kinds of stories: a person goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town. At the midpoint of Silverstein’s story—minute 3:09 in this video—“one came along who looked different.” It’s like the perfect meeting of both kinds of stories: a person goes on a journey and then a stranger comes along. At this point the entire story begins to shift. Something new begins to happen . . . I think this has something to do with the guest house–we welcome something or someone new–and then something new happens. Maybe . . . I hope you enjoy! _____________________________________________________ See also: Shel Silverstein’s site...

The Guest House by Rumi: A Quiet Revolution?

Posted by Diane Morrow on May 8, 2007 in Guest House, Healing Images, Healing Language and Healing Images, Healing Poetry

I came across this poem, The Guest House, by Rumi, for the first time, week before last, when I was looking for a clean link for Mary Oliver’s poem, The Journey. Here are the first twelve lines: This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, Some momentary awareness comes As an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, Who violently sweep your house Empty of its furniture, Still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out For some new delight. How wonderful is that? The image of sorrow and all the other emotions—joy yes—but also the difficult ones—anger—shame—fear—all as visitors—some pleasant visitors and some more difficult ones—and all of them guests. And guests with a broom no less. Sweeping through the rooms—clearing it. Rumi’s lines here resonate for me with those lines by Paul Simon from his song, “Sound of Silence”: Hello darkness, my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again. But now I’m picturing Darkness with a broom. Full text of Rumi’s poem Photo by Vladimir Shioshvili at Wikimedia Commons: Brooms for Sale in a Tbilisi...