The Balance of Isolation and Community
This poem reflects on aloneness, which the poet initially believed to be understood until I experienced it. Confronted with isolation, feelings of loneliness and longing for community arose. Through this challenge, I discovered an appreciation for solitude and the value of connections with family and friends.
I first learnt about the concept of aloneness while reading about mindfulness and meditation. I believed I understood the idea, until I was confronted with being alone on an isolated property during a house sit I did recently. The experience was much more challenging than I thought it would be. Beverley Joy
Listen here – poem – The art of being alone
I’ve thought about living in a monastery
To learn solitude and meditation
To escape the busyness of the city
Until I realised I had to take my mind with me.
When I found myself living in isolation
On a property way out in the country
With no car, no bus or train for escape
I was forced to accept and embrace my fate.
In the city, I was too busy to face what I felt
I could talk to others and not just myself
I would connect with friends and family
Feel I belong to my community.
Alone, I cried, ‘Woe betide nobody cares,’
My family were far from there
No one called, and I had no visitors
My toxic mind drove me wild.
This opportunity, so fragile, so rare
It was answered prayer. Yet, do I dare?
Confront the sharp edges of aloneness
Experience the hidden gem of remoteness.
I put aside my tears and negative tone
I wrote a poem, and I scribbled notes
I watched flowers open and some TV
I listened to birds sing and the wind in the trees.
Some people wish for aloneness
Others, like me, do not thrive in it
At least now I have a fresh appreciation
For family and friendly connections.
Beverley Joy of Simply Story Poetry © 2025 All Rights Reserved
You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms HERE
Image by David Bruyland from Pixabay
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