Live Virtual Group Session: 12PM EDT May 17th 2024

10 Comments

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this session!

For this session we read a poem “Who Says the Eye Loves Symmetry” by Patrick Rosal, posted below.

Our prompt was: “Write about the beauty within asymmetry.”

More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!

Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (“Leave a Reply”), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.

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Please join us for our next session Monday May 20th at 6pm EDT, with more times listed on our Live Virtual Group Sessions.

"Who Says the Eye Loves Symmetry" by Patrick Rosal

Doesn’t the eye love the ragged
tear of sky the treetop-shred
horizon The eye— after all—
loves the dizzy
dip of a road: its precarious
tilt towards a ravine
only wrist-deep water
and giant smooth rocks to break
the sky’s fall The eye
loves the bit peach window agape
buildings caught mid-swagger across a skyline
The eye loves unpainted pickets
cracked planks the harlequin the prow
poked out of water
like a chin loves
the evergreen arched over a flood
like an old man looking into the street
for a hand loves a sawed link chewed
rope a birch’s slants But
the eye can’t
love what it can’t
see: the woman
striding tired and brave amid the lobby’s bustle
and under her shirt
a single breast
For Maureen Clyne

Patrick Rosal
Who Says the Eye Loves Symmetry is reprinted from Uprock Headspin Scramble and Dive (Persea Books, 2003) and originally appeared in Uncommon Denominators (Palanquin Press, 2000).
Poem, copyright © 2000 by Patrick Rosal
Appearing on From the Fishouse with permission
Audio file, copyright © 2005, From the Fishouse

10 thoughts on “Live Virtual Group Session: 12PM EDT May 17th 2024”

  1. Rita B's avatar Rita B

    The beauty within asymmetry

    Rita Basuray

    This can be a long list, but I’ll try to keep it short –

    In the shadow of our text – one breast within a beautifully pattered top.

    A punched black-eye under sunglasses, of a woman finally leaving a horrible relationship.

    A long scar from a serous surgery under the mismatched hospital gown.

    A set of false teeth ready to shine and show a beautiful smile, when this person opens his tired lopsided lips.

    And the forgiving heart of a wronged puppy, ready to wag its tail at anyone.

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    • michele348's avatar michele348

      Your words brought a bit of sadness to my heart, but also happiness. Life can be filled with mixed emotions, hopefully we can come to see the beauty that is still there to be discovered., even in the darkest of times.

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    • Elizabeth's avatar Elizabeth

      Rita, as Tony said, I want a longer list. I think because it’s so short we really take it in.

      The examples are powerful. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. michele348's avatar michele348

    About the beauty within asymmetry

    Jagged lines, pointing in opposite directions.The synapses of the mind light up and wonder.

    A three-legged deer bounds joyfully across the field…he is not forlorn; he simply is thankful to be alive.

    The haphazard scattering of the branches of the pin oakdoes not deter the gray squirrel from building its nest among its sturdy branchesand raise its young.

    A scattering of native flowering plants across the meadow,in a spectrum of colors, forms a harmony of its own, and the heart is warmed by the view.

    Life itself is full of asymmetry…diversions in culture, languages, and beliefs.But in this asymmetry, we come to see symmetry where it truly matters…we all share a common humanity, we all have similar basic desires…to feel valued, to be loved, to give love.

    And in this superficial asymmetry, there is beauty to be found if one simply pauses and reflects.

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    • Elizabeth's avatar Elizabeth

      Michele, this is like a song of the heart. You’re bringing a rich experience with nature just as the poem did. I like that you bring in symmetry too. Thanks for ending with calling for reflection.

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      • michele348's avatar michele348

        Thanks, Elizabeth! The mention of a 3 legged deer is true, I spotted him along my back tree line last fall and was happy to see him again this Spring following along with his friends.

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  3. Elizabeth's avatar Elizabeth

    The beauty within asymmetry…

    I gently love him

    I’m angry at him

    I understand her self-preservation

    I think she’s selfish

    I love his equanimity

    I can’t stand his contained emotionality

    We live in the world of feelings asymmetry

    There is beauty and a gift in the extremes that we can feel, But

    it is exhausting

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    • michele348's avatar michele348

      You are correct,Elizabeth, it is exhausting. At times, we feel like human rubberbands which are being stretched to our limits. Sometimes we need to go to our quiet place, block out the noise of the world, and focus on the positives in our lives. And this, hopefully, brings us a modicum of peace.

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      • Elizabeth's avatar Elizabeth

        Michele, I love the line…. At times, we feel like human rubberbands which are being stretched to our limits… so beautifully stated. These days I feel like in a constant state of “rubberbandedness”— so I try to take the good and and feel all the different feelings, which is called being human.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Rosanne's avatar Rosanne

    The prompt for this session invovled the idea that imperfections can be beautiful. After the session ended, I read a Sandra Buloch quote, echoing that sentiment. She, known for her looks and talent, still appreciated the imperfections in life. When I was a kid, I didn’t have braces, because the dentist said that although my teeth weren’t perefectly straight, they were straight enough to give a good appearance. My mom echoed Ms. Bulloch’s perspective. Our late dog had a slight underbite, so she couldn’t be shown in the show ring, (which was not our intent in the first place). Well, I have a slight overbite; I can’t be shown in the show ring either. Ironically, my favorite quote from my high school yearbook was from a guy who wrote, “Keep up that winning smile.” (Insert “smiley face” here.) Rosanne

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