Thou mayest.

"A vast endless expanse of sky... still, no wind, no moon, no storm - indeed a storm would have been some consolation for then one would at least see life and movement somewhere. On the unending sea there is no boat, no ship, not even a sea monster, and in the sand not even a blade of grass, only a few gulls float in the air and make the loneliness even more desolate and horrible."-

Marie von Kügelgen

dear friends, allow me to introduce you to mr. caspar david friedrich's monk & the sea. 

this piece haunts me. 

"The theme: the tiny figure of a man set against a natural landscape divided into three horizontal zones of color. Its composition breaks with all traditions. There is no longer any perspective depth whatsoever. At the bottom of the picture, the whitish sand dunes making up the narrow strip of shoreline rise at an obtuse angle towards the left. At their apex, the tiny figure of a man robed in black is visible from behind - the only vertical in the picture. There is no other staff age; even the two sailing boats which Friedrich had originally envisaged on either side of the man he subsequently painted over. The oppressively dark zone of the sea meets an extremely low horizon. Some five-sixths of the canvas is given over to the diffuse structure of the cloudy sky. Because all lines lead out of the picture, infinity becomes the true subject of the painting. In the awareness of his smallness, the man, in whose place the viewer is meant to imagine himself, reflects upon the power of the universe." (hoocher.com )

i've stood there. where that monk stands. staring at an expansive sea of emptiness, a sea devouring all that i was once certain of. 

questioning. wondering. wandering. hurting. searching. seeking.  listening. opening. crawling. 

wide open. and yet so afraid. 

many of those precious to me in this life are facing some of life's most brutal truths today: the sudden death of a young son, the loss of a job, the unwelcome return of cancer, a failing marriage. 

this song is for those struggling souls. 

you are not alone.   

we'll hold your hand. 

 Timshel by Mumford & Sons

Cold is the water
It freezes your already cold mind
Already cold, cold mind
And death is at your doorstep
And it will steal your innocence
But it will not steal your substance

But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand

And you are the mother
The mother of your baby child
The one to whom you gave life
And you have your choices
And these are what make man great
His ladder to the stars

But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand

And I will tell the night
Whisper, "Lose your sight"
But I can't move the mountains for you