‘How very simple life would be
If only there were two of me
A Restless Me to drift and roam
A Quiet Me to stay at home.
A Searching One to find his fill
Of varied skies and newfound thrill
While sane and homely things are done
By the domestic Other One.
And that’s just where the trouble lies;
There is a Restless Me that cries
For chancy risks and changing scene,
For arctic blue and tropic green,
For deserts with their mystic spell,
For lusty fun and raising Hell
But shackled to that Restless Me
My Other Self rebelliously
Resists the frantic urge to move.
It seeks the old familiar groove
That habits make. It finds content
With hearth and home dear prisonment,
With candlelight and well loved books
And treasured loot in dusty nooks,
With puttering and garden things
And dreaming while a cricket sings
And all the while the Restless One
Insists on more exciting fun
It wants to go with every tide,
No matter where…just for the ride.
Like yowling cats the two selves brawl
Until I have no peace at all.
One eye turns to the forward track,
The other eye looks sadly back,
I’m getting wall-eyed from the strain,
(It’s tough to have an idle brain)
But One says “Stay” and One says “Go”
And One says “Yes,” and One says “no,”
And One Self wants a home and wife
And One Self craves the drifter’s life.
The Restless Fellow always wins
I wish my folks had made me twins.’
~The Double Life by Don Blanding~
I identify with this poem so much, I could have written it! Are there others out there who feel the same push and pull? I’d love to hear from you.
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I can certainly attest to the inner conflicts one feels about life. I suppose there’s comfort in knowing others feel the same sense of longing for new opportunities, craving adventure yet drawn to the comforts of routine.
SAM, yes, it is indeed comforting to know we are not alone in these thoughts. To want both is apparently, somewhat normal… it took me reading this poem a few years ago to fully realize it though!
WOW! That relly sums it up. It’s a pity we only have 1 life. There are lots of lives I would have like to have lived and lots of places I would have liked to live. I am glad I am able to travel – gives me a little taste of the “Other lives and places”.
Judy, that’s definitely one of the best things about traveling for me.. living little bits of other lives. It all started with that trip to Italy we went on… :)
Oh yes I can relate but the first line says it all – “How very simple life would be”. Unfortunately life is normally not simple. These days we have to try really hard to make it simple. It’s the exception not the rule today and it has become somewhat of an art form to make your life simple. So I raise my glass to your quest. ;)
No surprise, I completely relate as well! Thanks for posting this.
I’m not really a lover of poems, but I find myself coming back to this one over and over. I don’t remember when I first read it, but I know I will never forget it. It’s attached itself to me. It is meaningful.
Joe, I feel the same way. I always come back to it. Thanks for commenting. :)
Yes, probably most people can relate to this poem. I’ve found contentment with traveling vicariously through Don Blanding’s books of poetry. They’re wonderful, touching, fun, dark, lighthearted, extremely poignant… They have it all. And, his illustrations are gorgeous! He actually considered himself an artist first. He was also known as, The Vagabond Poet, I’m sure due to the theme of most of his poetry and one of his books, “Vagabond’s House”.
I’m not an expert on Don Blanding, but I sure love his works!