March 6, 2022
Hello You,
This week’s The Cure for Longing brings the return of Destiny Typewriter in the form of another audio postcard experiment. My deepest gratitude to all who have left voice mails, comments or emails for Dear Destiny so far. It’s such meaningful work to meditate on your words and find my way to Destiny’s replies. Please, keep ‘em coming!
Destiny Typewriter 3
All Love is Risk
Q: Hello Dear Destiny,
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, lying beside my husband, I become fearful of losing him and I have to push back tears. Then, I silently recite these words from a poet: What would your love even know what to do with itself without the ache you intuit in inevitable loss? Destiny, where do these words take you? And what thoughts do you have on love and loss?
A: Hello You,
What does it mean when even the thought of love lost can wreck a heart?
I think it means that maybe Joni Mitchell was wrong (just this once) and that sometimes we do know what we’ve got before it’s gone. And that’s a good thing.
In the fullness of your love you have felt the spectre of loss. And as any ghost will tell you, such sadness - imagined or real - is simply love, gone unexpressed.
Worry is a thief, and all love is risk.
So don’t wait to say the things you wish to say. Don’t save your love notes for tomorrow. If we want to make the most of life, we must measure our love in heartbeats instead of what-ifs.
And now, dear tender one, I’ll answer your poet with a poem of my own - one made from old valentines and the whispers of ghosts.
Yours, Destiny.
Here’s a short video of the matchbox crankie valentine I made for my sweetheart that inspired today’s Destiny Typewriter response. (sound on)
Closing Thoughts
Thank you for spending time with my words each week and for coming along on this wild journey of story and sound! Next week I’ll post the erasure poems I’ve gotten in my inbox so far and hopefully share more thoughts from Destiny as well.
In the meantime, if you have a question for Dear Destiny, you can leave it in the comments or give her voicemail a shout at the link below. Until next time, may you find magic along your way.
all love is risk