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Thursday, October 11, 2012

What is Longing?





What is longing, this inferno
Burning, yearning hunger
This groaning internal reaching
For what?

Is longing
Self-induced affliction
Carnal appetite?
Or is it holy hungry
Of things spiritual,
out of sight?

What is longing?
It cries, un-heard
Un-hushed
Weeping in the dead of night
Moaning in the noon-day rush

What is longing?
Is it folly?
or is it real?
Is it perchance, earth’s lonely sorrow
That only Heaven can heal?

© Janet Martin

8 comments:

  1. I love this very beautiful poem, and the questions it asks. Your writing is so lovely. I especially love the wondering if longing is "earth's lonely sorrow that only Heaven can heal."

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  2. Yuriy: I have found this: "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." What can it mean?

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  3. Sherry, thank-you so much. To a certain extent I believe we can be 'content' here and still long for heaven:)

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  4. Y~ I LOVE that verse.

    sat·is·fy/ˈsatisˌfī/
    Verb:

    Meet the expectations, needs, or desires of (someone).
    Fulfill (a desire or need)

    It doesn't say...with a bit of longing on the side'. Why is it so hard to let Him satisfy us?...unbelief? While I was running I thought about Love.
    Maybe I don't believe in 'God is Love' like I should. If I would then I would not have the longing motivated by fear 'for he has given us a spirit not of fear, but of love'...'perfect love casts out fear' etc... Then there is the longing from doubting His grace, the longing for satisfaction, the longing of loneliness, the longing of wanting to know for sure, the things He has already promised but somehow I still doubt.

    That verse is true, but I don't believe it is magic pudding from the sky. I need to believe, search and find.I wonder if there is anyone alive who does not long for something...If there is what drives them then...hope, love? How do we hope and love? By belief? It has to be...often I pray God, I believe, now help my unbelief...

    I need to make supper and lately our internet NEVER works in the evening...I might be back and maybe not:)

    Thank-you again for your thoughts, Yuriy.

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  5. Yuriy: The clear type of longing is not defined there. Knowledge of Good and Evil? Is that the thing? Love is surely longing. Again, if you stop longing you cease loving.
    It may bring one to mental and physical stagnation, or aging I suspect. Probably thus one punishes himsef/herself even not knowing it and pays for the refusal with illnesses or depressive states which are in the possession of Evil, not Goodness (I am hmmming... with myself now : ) ). Then love in any forms is an elixir of life. Not satisafction of your needs exclusively (it's an animal thing though I don't know how it is with the animals : ) ) but also the needs of those who you love and who have chosen you to be loved...until the moment when Love says 'good-bye, see you later or farewell'.
    People fear to love or rather they don't want to or can't see it or missed this feeling in the mean time. Love is a selective (not promiscuous) Dame and the gift to a person who must discern it from pure desires (let's agree to call it traditionally "passion" or, pardon, "hungry body" in my interpretation : ) )
    Love includes everything - devotion, passion, satisfaction, soul singing, health, etc. and the outcome of all of this is the very requirement from above, I suppose... acting as a man, of course : )

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  6. ...and the greatest of these is Love!
    You have given me so much to smile and think about today...and I am going to be content to 'long' until the day I die for to cease to long is to die before we stop breathing.

    There really are so many different kinds of longing.So much to think about in your words, but oh,I need to remember to live, laugh and love!

    I really enjoyed your thoughts today:)

    Thank-you

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  7. Stellar poem,Janet.I read it last week,but came back again.

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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!