11 Comments
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Susie Campbell's avatar

Beautiful post - I love the discussion of Women who run with the Wolves and the powerful ideas about the deep river beneath the river leading to this River Path. With love from your river-neighbour xx

Rachel Smith's avatar

Thanks Susie, I'm loving my walks along the Way, knowing it is flowing your way x

Caroline Bobby's avatar

so precious you are, in your lyrical writing, certainly not to be confused with the sanitised ideas about lyricism being 'beautiful and serene' - all those tyrannies of 'presence' and 'being' - you, Rachel, know that lyrical is sometimes rough as fuck, yet still that river holds, sustains, guides, teaches, and most of all if we can allow, it stays with us. It has/is always there in the subterranean in each of us, but often unoccupied, because we have to have the will, or the hunger, enough that we can turn down the volume of so much noise, and hear and feel the flow and fluency of simple - the home ground of freedom - the place where peace will sometimes throw us hard at hard walls, yet still be peace.

Thank you for your work, for being so you.

Rachel Smith's avatar

so true, that idea of turning down the volume of so much noise, so we can 'hear and feel the flow and fluency of the simple' - it's been a challenge for me lately - maybe it's always a challenge - and writing this I'm thinking, maybe that's the way it goes, the challenge will always be a part of it - thanks Caroline for helping remind me of this.

Pippa Bondy's avatar

I feel very much the same as these comments below.. such beautiful, touching, lyrical writing.. i really feel your life Rachel and the depth you travel with Lupus and loss in your life.. makes for a deep and beautiful soul. Thank you.

Rachel Smith's avatar

Thanks so much Pip, for seeing the travelling depths.

Penelope Zino's avatar

Wonderful Rachel, I can identify with so much of this!

Rachel Smith's avatar

Thanks Penny - the spare bedroom at Flaxmere looking out over the garden to the hills has become the writing room of my imagination - hope to be back soon and write there in person. x

Lisa's avatar

Love your writing Rachel x

Rachel Smith's avatar

thanks so much Lisa. x

Rachel Smith's avatar

Thanks so much Lisa, lovely to have you here reading x