I’m sharing a poem by ASJ Tissimond that I recently discovered that has been like a balm for my soul. It perfectly captures my wish for 2021 and offers a hopeful glimpse of the future.
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It was written in the 1960s by a British poet named ASJ Tissimond. Tissimond is a bit of a Van Gogh of the poetry world—he didn’t find a lot of acclaim while he was alive, and he struggled with mental illness. But his poems somehow captured everyday reality while also pulsing with deeper emotions, like longing, and hope.
And really, I’ll think you’ll see—or rather, hear—that this is a poem by ASJ Tissimond that pretty much captures how it feels to be alive right now, and the kinds of things we’re all longing for.
The poem is called Daydream, and again, it’s by ASJ Tissimond.
One day people will touch and talk perhaps easily,
And loving be natural as breathing and warm as sunlight,
And people will untie themselves, as string is unknotted,
Unfold and yawn and stretch and spread their fingers,
Unfurl, uncurl like seaweed returned to the sea,
Work will be simple and swift as a seagull flying,
And play will be casual and quiet as a seagull settling,
The clocks will stop, and no one will wonder or care or notice,
And people will smile without reason, even in winter, even in the rain.
That’s my wish for all of us.
Simple, swift work, plenty of play, no sense of rushing, and a steady knowing that all is OK, no matter our circumstances. Plus, lots of touching, talking, and stretching.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
