Thoughts for each other during the day. “Telepathy” poem by Michael Dennis Browne. (Jan. 2010)

Susan's Thursday morning note January 27, 2010 
Telepathy poem by Michael Dennis Browne
Thoughts for each other throughout day…maybe even those in heaven seeing us?
Good morning!  The coffee/filler combination is perfect in my favorite mug, the wind isn’t blowing & the sun is supposed to come out today.  Does that mean spring is in sight?   I have mentioned before that Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac is on the home page of our internet.  Each day there is a new poem listed.  Last week one hit home – looking at Camden through my rear-view window on the way to school.  Thinking of him during the day.  Wondering what he’s doing that exact moment.  Grinning from miles away.  Feeling for him.  I am assuming that the mind won’t wander far even when he is fifty and I am ninety.  Part of what I’m thinking of all the time.  How is he?  What is he doing that moment?  I have a feeling that is just what loving someone deeply does with the mind. “Telepathy” as this poem describes.  I loved this poem.  Basic thoughts for each other during the day.  I can’t resist typing it this week for you.  Michael Browne is a professor at the University of Minnesota.  This is from his book of poetry, You Won’t Remember This.  Shall I go so far as to say this is what we often mention of those in heaven – that they see?  From afar?  Love the thought! 
Telepathy by Michael Dennis Browne

Today I explained telepathy to you,
    and telephone, and television,
        on the way to day care,

and I said, sometimes when I'm at work
       I'll think of you,
            and if I could send you that thought with my mind,

you'd get it right then,
    and maybe you'd smile, stopping a moment at whatever
            you were doing, or maybe not

but just going on with it, making a mask out of paper plates
    and orange and green cards
            with markers and scissors and paste,

 or screaming circles in the gym
    either being a monster
            or being chased by a gang of them, but still you'd get

 the picture I was beaming
    and you'd brighten inside and flash me something back,
           which I'd get, where I was, and smile at.

That's telepathy, I said
        pulling into the parking lot,
            looking at you in the mirror.

Don’t you love that?   Thinking of each other.  I’m not trying to be “psychic” on you, just thought the poem was fun!  Here are two more quotes on sharing thoughts, memories, connections in our minds with those we love…one on thinking on the same things because we have the same memories and the same dreams from experiences together…the other on connections between so many generations shown on one palm. 

There once was a child, and he strolled about a good deal, and thought of a number of things.  He had a sister, who was a child too, and his constant companion.  These two used to wonder all day long.  They wondered at the beauty of the flowers; they wondered at the height and blueness of the sky; they wondered at the depth of the bright water; they wondered at the goodness and the power of God who made the lovely world.  Charles Dickens

If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors.  All of them are alive in this moment.  Each is present in your body.  You are the continuation of each of these people  Thich Nhat Hanh   (This reminds me of the analogy you can click on to get to a past newsletter you can read that I wrote on in 2008 – Generations analogy with poem of Russian Nesting Dolls)

Have you ever looked at your hands and wondered if they were as another…generations back?  Wouldn’t we love to have over our ancestors for lunch….there you go – think on that one today!  (One of our favorite Thursday notes that you may like to read if you didn’t receive our note in 2008 – on a woman getting to go as a child and play with her mother as a child and her grandmother as a child.)

Thank you for letting me send you my note again!  Have a great week!  Enjoy your ten minutes of sunshine!  Enjoy the details.  The wind blowing time is blowing…blowing….time is going so fast.  Did you notice the eyes of your friends?  Your family?  Did you look?  Did you take the time for what you’ll wish you did when you truly do only have a few hours left of this life?  If we knew our life span – would we make different choices?  Live.  Constantly remember the promise that puts all in perspective…Be still and know that I am God.  Look up – the peace that passes our understanding is only a glance away.  I hope you can come over to the store – you can’t believe all that is showing up…so so so fun!  Thank you for giving me the chance to try to run such a great store for all of us!!!  Go make your day count….we’ll all have to write something on our epitaphs tonight for the hours used.  Let’s make the writing worthy of being written.  Susan

Latin for this week:
ad idem - of the same minds
and I can't resist this one that I found....
    meum cerebrum nocet - My brain hurts!

Works Cited:

Browne, Michael Dennis.  You Won't Remember This.  Pittsburgh.  Carnegie-Mellon University Press.  1992.