Summary

The web content reflects on the theme of loss in life, inspired by Elizabeth Bishop's poem "The Art of Losing," and encourages readers to consider their own experiences with loss through a writing challenge.

Abstract

The article delves into the inevitability of loss throughout life, from the moment of birth to the approach of death, emphasizing that loss is a natural part of the human experience. It touches on various types of losses, including material items, relationships, and aspects of self, such as youth and sanity. The author, approaching their 50th birthday, draws parallels between life and a spinning top, gaining speed as it progresses but ultimately slowing down. The piece suggests that while we cannot hold onto things like youth or even life itself, we can find solace in the moments we cherish and in the act of surrendering to what we cannot control. The art of losing is presented as both a personal journey and a universal experience, with the article inviting readers to explore their own interpretations of loss through a writing challenge.

Opinions

The author views the act of losing as an art form, referencing Elizabeth Bishop's poem to convey that loss is an inherent and unavoidable aspect of life.
There is a sense of acceptance and even comfort in the idea that loss is not a disaster but a part of life's journey, as suggested by the poem's influence on the author.
The article implies that the things we lose were never meant to be kept forever, and the true gift is the pleasure of the experience.
The author expresses a personal connection to the concept of loss, particularly in the context of aging and approaching a significant milestone birthday.
The piece suggests that physical mementos serve as testimonials to our past and provide emotional markers of our growth and transformation.
It is opined that life is about experiencing and savoring moments, acknowledging that some of these moments will inevitably be lost.
The author encourages an embrace of life's fragility and mystery, advocating for a perception of life as an art form that is open to interpretation.
The writing challenge posed at the end of the article emphasizes the subjective nature of loss, inviting diverse perspectives on what the art of losing means to different individuals.

POETRY PROMPT

What We Lose in Life

And why that’s more than okay

From the moment we are born we begin “The Art of Losing” (image design on CANVA)

From umbilical cord to baby teeth, this mortal coil does lose, then virginity (sometimes sanity) and in between… your fuse.

Time is lost, along with things — a sock, a key — your Grandma’s ring

Love and Sanity — (rare do share a boat), yet stay long enough on this spinning planet and you’ll lose ’em both

Youth and Energy teeter out in tandem, sometimes so subtle, you’ll find Time’s a phantom!

And while money is lost and oft’ found again, when the coffin arrives… did it really matter in the end?

This Life is filled with so many things — from blossoms to boobs, from birds to wooden swings

Take comfort knowing the stuff you so miss was never meant to be kept the pleasure itself your (forever) gift

As I inch ever closer to my 50th birthday, the poem by the late Elizabeth Bishop, The Art of Losing continues to percolate in my mind:

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.”

This life feels like a spinning top, starting slowly in childhood, when time seems long and then picking up speed in our later years.

On the cusp of 50, I can see the horizon. Not the finish line. But the horizon is there. The spinning top is turning ever faster. Eventually, the spinning top slows down for all of us.

I am in the awe of my spinning top — appreciating the journey and where I am on this ever-turning ride.

I keep lockets of my sons’ baby hairs; I keep a stapled “book” about my dog — written by a six-year-old me.

We keep the trinkets of the past as a physical testimonial to Before. Those trinkets remind us of who we were; they are evidence of the Emotional Museum inside; they provide markers of our growth.

We cannot hold onto our Youth anymore than we can retain the oxygen in our lungs.

But we can embrace the idea that Life is about experiencing, savoring each moment — especially the ones we hold dear — the very ones that will bring us to our knees when we, eventually and inevitably lose them.

The late and great Elizabeth Bishop was so clever to refer to losing as an art.

Life, like art, is both fragile and mysterious, open to interpretation and dependent on one’s perception.

There is an art to surrendering what we cannot control or keep.

Writing Challenge

What does “The Art of Losing” mean to you? There are an infinite number of ways to interpret the question itself.

From losing something tangible like a necklace to losing something intangible like a friendship, what does the art of losing look like to you?

Jason Edmunds Anne Scherliess Jason Provencio Jan Sebastian Ossiana Tepfenhart Mustapha El Hajj Natasha Nichole Lake Nicole Dake Caroline de Braganza ASAD EDUCATE Robin Wilding 💎 Misbah Ashraf Annie Trevaskis Carolyn Hastings Pamela Oglesby Joe Merkle Kerry Purvis Ray Day Joejohn Black NADINE H John Hansen Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles Kimberly J Fitzgerald Joe Merkle Ravyne Hawke Nour Boustani ECP Page Annieb

Did Someone Say Challenge?

Calling all poets and teachers!

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