“Whose eyes will she catch in the visceral passage of time? Whose quietened heart will her windows speak to?” Gorgeous, haunting writing. Thank you, Swarnali.
There is so much in this essay to sit with, to reflect on, to explore, to allow to unfold. Thank you for gifting us with this map of your internal and external process, Swarnali. Trivarna said it well -- gorgeous, haunting writing. Not to be quickly taken in, but to be with over time.
This is high praise Maia and means so much to me specially coming from you because I really admire your writing, centred so beautifully around your way of being and mindfulness. I am happy this essay channelled through me and you find it meaningful. In this brief existence I am sufficiently happy to have touched your heart. Much love 💜
I love your description of Autumn there and the video of the rain. You say, "I am waiting for the still, pregnant pause through which healing seeps, unpredictably and unmeasured. I wait to rest and to heal, even though I spent the summer doing just that." I'm certainly in this space now, with a sense that the healing will probably come over the next couple of years (if I put it on a timeline:). I appreciate all of your words about presence and the deep connection of all things (which sounds silly to write because there is no non-connection). Thank you, Swarnali.
Emily you are so right, there is no non-connection at all, and how silly of us to go about our lives in our heads as if we could have done it all by ourselves - spin the earth or make the honey, turn on the moon as the sky grows dark or hold the oceans together. How wonderful isn’t it that for us to be humans, all the conditions have to necessarily sufficient.
Your presence here is deeply appreciated. Thank you for staying with my words and sending your attention my way. 💜
Yes, so much must occur for us to be, and we are. When I feel myself living in that, I am calm and also full of quiet joy. I am very grateful for your presence as well. I love the video of the rain:).
This was so deeply beautiful my friend. Your words have reverberated off of my insides and are pooling from my eyes currently, but I am so grateful for the feelings and love this brought up. Thank you for writing this. I’m going to sit outside and listen to the birdsong, methinks.
Miyazaki, birds, otherworlds—everything I love in one letter. Your words are beautiful, Swarnali. Life beyond clocks and mirrors waits in nature, bare feet, long walks. I often find my way there. The treshold space of inhales and exhales, grief and joy, root and crown—that is home to me, that in-between space, the bridge to the worlds.
Vanja you have such a beautiful way with words. Its inspiring. Yes the life beyond clocks and mirrors is in nature, her healing embrace makes life worth living on days when everything seems a little dull. Thank you for reading through and sharing your thoughts. To connection beyond the physical and the spaces in between 💜
Maia Duerr brought me here from her restack of your post in Notes. She compared you to an author she and I admire—but, you may surpass even her; if not, for certain her equal! Your sublime and beautiful command of language led me to become a subscriber. I read a lot of Substack posts—rarely do they approach this level of beautiful. Pure poetry of prose. Thank you.
Hello Kert. I am grateful to Maia for connecting us. I greatly admire her presence, and now delighted you are here too. Kimmerer’s wisdom and depth is exquisite and if you have seen me in her image then I pray that I grow into it, that would be the truest gift of all.
Thank you for providing me with your presence, patience and time Kert. It’s such a joy to make new friends. 💜
This beautiful reflection reminds me powerfully of the work of Arkadii Dragomoshchenko, a Ukrainian-Russian poet whom I was privileged to study with in his lifetime. I urge you to find Dust, his collection of essays, and the sublime Chinese Sun. Thank you so much for this insight into your interior world; you are an inspiration to me.
Beautiful recommendation sister, I am going to add your friend’s work to my to read. What a gift it is to be perceived and loved by you, the way you do. 💜
I don't want to assume that you haven't considered this - but have you thought about how the brilliance (in both senses of the word) of your writing resonates with the project of Emergence Magazine? Sounds specific, I know, but I could see your writing fitting their magazine so perfectly, you write so so beautifully! I have the simultaneous admiration and jealously of one writer looking at a very gifted, hardworking other :)
I wish I could find words to describe the fullness this brings to my heart, and something beyond my heart. You are a master of these liminal spaces, the times and experiences that speak to the deep paradoxes and irreconcilable griefs of our lives. This essay is like a richly lived life itself -- it *is* a richly lived life itself. Something incredibly fulfilling.
I am glad this essay filled your heart Nia. Sometimes it takes me by surprise, the realisation of how it’s simply wonderful to be a human being visiting this realm of physical reality and yet slowly and consciously letting go as we travel through.
It’s all too high a praise Nia. I see myself as a mere traveler of life, distributing love on my way out. Thank you for being my friend in this world. You are simply one of my favourite people. So much love and peace back at you dear friend. 💜🧚🏽♀️🕯️
It is not too high a praise. I should tell you more often what an incredible writer you are, because you are! I love how you see the world, the heart you bring into it, but on another level you’re just a killer writer. There’s so much power in your voice and the way you bring your love and fierceness about this world to life. You are truly an amazing writer!
I don't know how your note ended up in my notes feed but I'm grateful. You have so beautifully written the liminal space as a place and not as a line to cross. and this: "I dream of a life beyond clocks and mirrors, where the lens of observation isn’t a mechanism to weigh us all by the same scales of numbers or symmetry"
I remember a time like that, either in this world or some parallel one, and I cannot live in integrity another way, so I am grateful for your words bringing it here.
This, your words, you, your heart—all unspeakably beautiful. And, as for finding ‘home’, I suspect that the place that this was written from, the place in you that knew to honor the moment with the Cuckoo, that is home, my love. And what a joy it is to share a home with you 💜
Your insights and words has shown me how to be a better human amongst our winged friends and in presence of death. I thank the universe for creating you and allowing me to find your light. Thank you for showing me the way back home 💜
“Whose eyes will she catch in the visceral passage of time? Whose quietened heart will her windows speak to?” Gorgeous, haunting writing. Thank you, Swarnali.
Thank you for reading dear Trivarna. I feel the same way about your writing. 💜
There is so much in this essay to sit with, to reflect on, to explore, to allow to unfold. Thank you for gifting us with this map of your internal and external process, Swarnali. Trivarna said it well -- gorgeous, haunting writing. Not to be quickly taken in, but to be with over time.
This is high praise Maia and means so much to me specially coming from you because I really admire your writing, centred so beautifully around your way of being and mindfulness. I am happy this essay channelled through me and you find it meaningful. In this brief existence I am sufficiently happy to have touched your heart. Much love 💜
I love your description of Autumn there and the video of the rain. You say, "I am waiting for the still, pregnant pause through which healing seeps, unpredictably and unmeasured. I wait to rest and to heal, even though I spent the summer doing just that." I'm certainly in this space now, with a sense that the healing will probably come over the next couple of years (if I put it on a timeline:). I appreciate all of your words about presence and the deep connection of all things (which sounds silly to write because there is no non-connection). Thank you, Swarnali.
Emily you are so right, there is no non-connection at all, and how silly of us to go about our lives in our heads as if we could have done it all by ourselves - spin the earth or make the honey, turn on the moon as the sky grows dark or hold the oceans together. How wonderful isn’t it that for us to be humans, all the conditions have to necessarily sufficient.
Your presence here is deeply appreciated. Thank you for staying with my words and sending your attention my way. 💜
Yes, so much must occur for us to be, and we are. When I feel myself living in that, I am calm and also full of quiet joy. I am very grateful for your presence as well. I love the video of the rain:).
💜🤗
This was so deeply beautiful my friend. Your words have reverberated off of my insides and are pooling from my eyes currently, but I am so grateful for the feelings and love this brought up. Thank you for writing this. I’m going to sit outside and listen to the birdsong, methinks.
You are a gift. 💜
That’s so sweet. Warmest hugs dearest 🤗
I am happy to exist in this world as I am and be loved and admired by you. May the birdsongs cure all your tiredness and aches 💜
Miyazaki, birds, otherworlds—everything I love in one letter. Your words are beautiful, Swarnali. Life beyond clocks and mirrors waits in nature, bare feet, long walks. I often find my way there. The treshold space of inhales and exhales, grief and joy, root and crown—that is home to me, that in-between space, the bridge to the worlds.
Thank you, thank you.
Vanja you have such a beautiful way with words. Its inspiring. Yes the life beyond clocks and mirrors is in nature, her healing embrace makes life worth living on days when everything seems a little dull. Thank you for reading through and sharing your thoughts. To connection beyond the physical and the spaces in between 💜
Maia Duerr brought me here from her restack of your post in Notes. She compared you to an author she and I admire—but, you may surpass even her; if not, for certain her equal! Your sublime and beautiful command of language led me to become a subscriber. I read a lot of Substack posts—rarely do they approach this level of beautiful. Pure poetry of prose. Thank you.
Hello Kert. I am grateful to Maia for connecting us. I greatly admire her presence, and now delighted you are here too. Kimmerer’s wisdom and depth is exquisite and if you have seen me in her image then I pray that I grow into it, that would be the truest gift of all.
Thank you for providing me with your presence, patience and time Kert. It’s such a joy to make new friends. 💜
This beautiful reflection reminds me powerfully of the work of Arkadii Dragomoshchenko, a Ukrainian-Russian poet whom I was privileged to study with in his lifetime. I urge you to find Dust, his collection of essays, and the sublime Chinese Sun. Thank you so much for this insight into your interior world; you are an inspiration to me.
Beautiful recommendation sister, I am going to add your friend’s work to my to read. What a gift it is to be perceived and loved by you, the way you do. 💜
I don't want to assume that you haven't considered this - but have you thought about how the brilliance (in both senses of the word) of your writing resonates with the project of Emergence Magazine? Sounds specific, I know, but I could see your writing fitting their magazine so perfectly, you write so so beautifully! I have the simultaneous admiration and jealously of one writer looking at a very gifted, hardworking other :)
Wow this is such a high praise! I have never heard of Emergence Magazine, thank you for introducing it, I will definitely check it out.
Also isn’t admiration the first step towards becoming the thing that we admire? Welcome to Berkana. And I am so glad that my words connected to you.
I read this far too late, but i am so touched by your writing. I’ll be thinking about this letter for a very long time. thank you <3
Thank you for your presence and attention to this my dear friend. 💜
Beautiful
Thank you for reading 💜
I wish I could find words to describe the fullness this brings to my heart, and something beyond my heart. You are a master of these liminal spaces, the times and experiences that speak to the deep paradoxes and irreconcilable griefs of our lives. This essay is like a richly lived life itself -- it *is* a richly lived life itself. Something incredibly fulfilling.
So much love for you, my friend. 🕯️🧚🧡
I am glad this essay filled your heart Nia. Sometimes it takes me by surprise, the realisation of how it’s simply wonderful to be a human being visiting this realm of physical reality and yet slowly and consciously letting go as we travel through.
It’s all too high a praise Nia. I see myself as a mere traveler of life, distributing love on my way out. Thank you for being my friend in this world. You are simply one of my favourite people. So much love and peace back at you dear friend. 💜🧚🏽♀️🕯️
It is not too high a praise. I should tell you more often what an incredible writer you are, because you are! I love how you see the world, the heart you bring into it, but on another level you’re just a killer writer. There’s so much power in your voice and the way you bring your love and fierceness about this world to life. You are truly an amazing writer!
😭😭😭😭 Thank you Nia. It means the world to me. 💜💜
I don't know how your note ended up in my notes feed but I'm grateful. You have so beautifully written the liminal space as a place and not as a line to cross. and this: "I dream of a life beyond clocks and mirrors, where the lens of observation isn’t a mechanism to weigh us all by the same scales of numbers or symmetry"
I remember a time like that, either in this world or some parallel one, and I cannot live in integrity another way, so I am grateful for your words bringing it here.
Leela I am so glad the gods of algorithms brought you here. Welcome, what a delight to find people who align with your nuanced visions of the world.
If you know that such a world exists then it exists. Our five senses are not the only navigator of reality. 💜
This, your words, you, your heart—all unspeakably beautiful. And, as for finding ‘home’, I suspect that the place that this was written from, the place in you that knew to honor the moment with the Cuckoo, that is home, my love. And what a joy it is to share a home with you 💜
Your insights and words has shown me how to be a better human amongst our winged friends and in presence of death. I thank the universe for creating you and allowing me to find your light. Thank you for showing me the way back home 💜
So much love to you 💛
Much and more back at you 💜
Thank you for your kind words Indra. Light and blessings to you. ✨