VALIDATION
Do we walk alone or in threes and fours
Seeking ourselves within friends?
Do we seek a soulmate to hold
and to be held. Keep the heart safe;
Although feeling it might break?
Do we seek validation among the many,
Do we seek and give, love and care.
I heard the story about a man
He walked for forty years in solitude,
a hermit in the vastness of mountains and lakes
in different countries, yet all the same,
freedom and truth from the greatness around.
I would like to meet this man, hear his thoughts,
Did he find wholeness and peace?
Among mountains, lochs and lakes.
Does it get lonesome at all?
Could it be that we are part of both?
Craving solitude but also a friend.
Someone who would walk with us
through pain and joy.
© miriam ivarson
My Window 
I find these lines beautiful.
Loneliness and togetherness.
Both are beautiful when sought and cultivated with joy, but they are awful and harmful if imposed from the outside
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Thank you for your wonderful comment, dear Luisa. How right you are in
saying that both are right ‘ If sought and cultivated with joy’.🦋.
Miriam
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Lovely 💙
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Thank you Alethea.
miriam
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You’re welcome
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As a growing hermit, I can so relate to this Miriam. Lovely and evocative verse.
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Brad, thank you so much for your appreciative words. I am glad you found my words so. Don’t be too much of a hermit, you would be missed. 🤗.
Miriam
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Thanks Miriam. I get out a little, mostly for work, blog, and errands.
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Miriam, <3. Beautiful words and thoughts. Thank you. xXx
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Thank you so much, Jane. Your kind words are warming.
Miriam
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A beautiful way of expressing those conflicting needs Miriam. I think we all need a bit of both, but some of us need more of one than the other. I need more solitude, but I would be lonely if there was no human contact in my life.
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Andrea, a warm thank you for your thoughtful and to me – true words.
From reading your posts I felt you liked solitude but as you say, human contact and friendship are important. Both play a role in our balance.
Miriam
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Miriam, a beautiful and thought-provoking reflection upon this dichotomy of existence. Your first three stanzas directly address the reader and I quickly found myself musing upon my answers. I love your twist in the poem to the incredible story of the man living as a true hermit for over 4 decades. Nearly incomprehensible. As your final stanza sums up, I too find that I’m part of both worlds, ‘Craving solitude but also a friend.’
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Thank you, Annika, for your wonderful comment (review) of my poem. With positivity and skill you
adress the different parts of the poem. I am so happy you liked it so. I believe it was when reading
the story about the hermit who spent 40 years alone that I was inspired to write.
Then observing how we interact in society – or not as may be-. I am also craving solitude but also a friend. 🙂 Bless
miriam
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I hope you have / find both! I know you have many friends here on WP! xx ❤️
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Beautiful and so nicely it is unfurling in the end. Loved the flow of your poem, Miriam.
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Thanks Kamal, for your warm-hearted words. I am happy you the flow of
my poem. 😊.
Miriam
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Most welcome Miriam and yes the flow is moving so beautifully. Lovely poem.
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Beautiful, Miriam. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you, Jill, for reading and commenting. It is really a joy to share
what we right, I am sure you will agree. 😊.
Miriam
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Very, very beautiful! Yes, I do think it is both, solitude and a friend.
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Thank you for your lovely words, a sun ray they are. I too know I need both
solitude and a friend or two. 😊.
Miriam
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Exactly! Peace and blessings to you.
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I would like to meet him too!
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😊 , I wonder what we would meet. Would we be welcome. Walking quiet
and share a thermos of tea and coffee…whilst first taking in the beauty around.
Miriam
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I like your ponderings. They are easy to relate to. It seems we each have a place of balance along the spectrum of solitude and companionship which changes with time and needs. I’m thankful for options and for people who give me space and company when needed.
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Thank you JoAnna, your own pondering are welcome too. 😊.
I find your last sentence to be true, it is just to find that balance.
Miriam
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Alone is never alone. And there are times companionship isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I see that in this work or there would be no question marks, eh? Example – is dog a friend, a companion, or a planetary citizen showing us the value of “now”?
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Phil, thank you for your intriguing comment. I smile when you refer to the question marks. 😊. You are right and yet I tried to keep them to a minimum.
I agree abut companionships too. A close friend is someone you can trust and share with. Relax with and talk on any subject.
A dog is a faithful companion and many will say friend.
The value of now I try to be aware of every day although failing quite often.🦋.
Miriam
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There was nothing “wrong” about the question marks or anything, I simply found meaning in your use of them. God help us if we find ourselves in a world without punctuation!
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Ahh.., I didn’t think you were criticising, I smiled as I had to contain myself
or there would be three more. I do agree, we do need punctuation.😊.
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Fabulous poem! We need both Miriam – togetherness acquaints us with sublime love whereas solitude ennobles us.
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Thank you, Balroop for your warm-hearted comment. I also need both but do understand solitude as well as love. Solitude might give you more strength
to fully love. This is why I wanted the meet this man in the wild. 🌱.
Miriam
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HI Miriam,
This gave me so much food for thought!
I crave both, my solitude, and the companion of good energy people.
Blessings to you! ♥♥
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Thank you for your great comment. I do feel that most of us so far
prefer both sides of the coin. Solitude and companion. You add, of good energy people – how true that is. Blessings to you too 💖.
Miriam
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Life carries me along, usually into solitude. Although I have a great partner who is of like mind in this thing. Although:
Once i spent so many years alone in the woods that i forgot how to relate to others. I guess i needed it, but don’t do that anymore. I always have a handful of truly great friends. Though we live far from one another. But at leasf we keep in touch on a regular basis.
Strange, this journey!
Good post, Miriam! 🙏❤️
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Bela, thank you for such an open and enlightening comment.
I am in awe to hear you spent so much time in the woods, in solitude. No wonder you felt distance to others. Have you written about this?
I am glad your partner and you can share this longing for quiet with each other. A handful of great friends is ample. You found a good balance.
I totally agree with you, it is strange this journey. ♥️🌻.
Miriam
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Strange, indeed. I contemplate it daily.
I have written quite a bit about my woods life. Pine Trail leaps to mind; perhaps that post will take you to others?
Blessings on the day! 🙏❤️
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Lovely and thought-provoking poem, Miriam, and I believe your last verse says it all: we have the need for communication and contact with others, but also the desire for solitude. 💞
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Thank you so much, Lauren, for your beautiful comment.
I am glad my words talked to you. As you, I fully believe that most of us
have a desire for both solitude and togetherness.
To find the right balance is important although 💕.
Miriam
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Hi Miriam An interesting poem which raises thoughts for consideration. I think everyone is different when it comes to the type and quantity of interactions with other people they need.
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Thank you, Robbie, for your thoughtful comment to my pondering.
We are indeed all unique and although we differ in which way we interact
there seems to me to be a majority who seek a friend – even a child does.
Total solitary existence I don’t believe is that common by choice.🤗.
Miriam
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This is a wonderful poem, Miriam. You have captured the contemplations very well. And I love both your opening and your conclusion! Well done!
dwight
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Thank you for your delightful comment, Dwight.
I am really happy to hear that you felt rightness in my words. This hermit guy
made me question myself and the result was this poem.
Miriam
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Interesting… it turned out very well!
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Miriam, these are beautiful lines and they depict the spiritual struggle so well. To have and to hold or to simply let go and be. Or is it a bit of both? Very beautifully said. Thank you! ❤
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Thanks you for your beautiful comment, Zeenat. For most of us it is a bit of both; solitude at times and
good frind at other. 🙂
miriam
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Wonderful writing. I think our first friend is inside, once we befriend that friend then we have an eternal companion for the journey.
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Thank you, Kate, for your lovely and thoughtful comment. It is true, to
make friend with yourself is the first step to be able to really connect to
others. May this also guide us in the choice of those we trust.
Miriam
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Marvellous creation and a very profound thought. We all do have a friend within, very apparent from the fact that we came into this world alone and will go back alone too. And I’d so like to ask the hermit the very same question.
Very beautifully penned, my friend 💖
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SamSahana, thank you for your beautiful and thoughtful comment.
You are right about a friend within, wish we would always feel that. Yes, it would be special to hear how the hermit would see if. 🤗.
Miriam
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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A pleasure indeed, thank you. 😊.
Miriam
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You are describing here exactly a key difference between my wife and me.
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