The Balance of Isolation and Community

This poem reflects on aloneness, which the poet initially believed to be understood until I experienced it. Confronted with isolation, feelings of loneliness and longing for community arose. Through this challenge, I discovered an appreciation for solitude and the value of connections with family and friends.

I first learnt about the concept of aloneness while reading about mindfulness and meditation. I believed I understood the idea, until I was confronted with being alone on an isolated property during a house sit I did recently. The experience was much more challenging than I thought it would be. Beverley Joy

The art of being alone

I've thought about living in a monastery

To learn solitude and meditation

To escape the busyness of the city

Until I realised I had to take my mind with me.

When I found myself living in isolation

On a property way out in the country

With no car, no bus or train for escape

I was forced to accept and embrace my fate.

In the city, I was too busy to face what I felt

I could talk to others and not just myself

I would connect with friends and family

Feel I belong to my community.

Alone, I cried, 'Woe betide nobody cares,'

My family were far from there

No one called, and I had no visitors

My toxic mind drove me wild.

This opportunity, so fragile, so rare

It was answered prayer. Yet, do I dare?

Confront the sharp edges of aloneness

Experience the hidden gem of remoteness.

I put aside my tears and negative tone

I wrote a poem, and I scribbled notes

I watched flowers open and some TV

I listened to birds sing and the wind in the trees.

Some people wish for aloneness

Others, like me, do not thrive in it

At least now I have a fresh appreciation

For family and friendly connections.

Beverley Joy of Simply Story Poetry © 2025 All Rights Reserved

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Thank you for listening.