tiny happy

making journal

Saturday

Saturday2

Freesias

The world feels like a dark place at the moment.
Beauty, making things, the domestic… all feel trivial, really.

A friend posted this poem on social media and I thought it would be perfect to share here (thanks Clare!)

Good bones 

Life is short, though I keep this from my children.
Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine
in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways,
a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways
I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least
fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative
estimate, though I keep this from my children.
For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird.
For every loved child, a child broken, bagged,
sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world
is at least half terrible, and for every kind
stranger, there is one who would break you,
though I keep this from my children. I am trying
to sell them the world. Any decent realtor,
walking you through a real shithole, chirps on
about good bones: This place could be beautiful,
right? You could make this place beautiful.

– Maggie Smith

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18 responses to “good bones”

  1. allison Avatar

    Oh, that’s good. Thank you for sharing!

    Like

  2. Clare Avatar
    Clare

    So bittersweet, it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it x

    Like

  3. Mousy Brown Avatar

    Yes that just about sums it up! I’m trying so hard to see the good bones this week… and not to scare the children…I wish I could be protected from the reality too…sometimes it just feels too much to absorb…

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  4. annri Avatar
  5. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    ❤️️

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  6. Julie Avatar

    This poem has been making the rounds and it is SO good! Sadly, more apt than ever. Your stitching looks stunning, by the way.

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  7. Angela Avatar

    Interesting poem!! Beautiful embroidery in that gorgeous gray linen! Have a great weekend!!

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  8. Meg Avatar

    Oh, Melissa. What intense, deep and thoughtful words. Thank you for sharing them. Meg

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  9. tinyhappy Avatar

    thank you meg XX

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  10. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    Beautiful poem Melissa. I think that beauty, making things, the domestic-ness might all feel trivial but if we keep doing it …. keep putting just one foot in front of the other & trying to do our tiny little bit of goodness …. then after awhile it doesnt all seem so bad. Thats what I find anyway …………

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  11. tinyhappy Avatar

    thats very wise julie, thank you!
    XX

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  12. tinyhappy Avatar

    thank you angela, hope you are well too!

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  13. tinyhappy Avatar

    yes me too! thank you for sharing it in the first place, clare XX

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  14. muenzeeins Avatar

    nothing to add to this beautiful poem (so true) and I absolutely agree with what Julie said, just cannot put it so nicely in words :)… thanks for sharing Melissa!
    (embroidery and painting are gorgeous), have a lovely end of the week! Cécile

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  15. tinyhappy Avatar

    thank you Cécile and wishing you a happy week too!
    M

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  16. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Hope you didn’t suffer any damage in the earthquake, Melissa?

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  17. tinyhappy Avatar

    thank you karen, we are fine and have been very lucky!
    xx 

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