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One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
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The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
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Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
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Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
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I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three beloved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
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I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
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Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) a disaster.
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Thank you guys for your comments! They mean a lot to me. Knowing that I’m not the only one feeling this way helps. I’ve often asked myself,
while watching other people missing their loved ones; ‘Is something
wrong with me?’ only to have to remind myself that no, there isn’t, I’ve
just had a different life, one which has taught me to cope in a
different way!
@Jenna… feeling like a lost soul is something I grew up with. What helped me was to embrace who I am. We are different. This is not a bad
thing just something that we need to accept and cope with. In my case it
was a healing process, one where I needed to let go of all my past
hurts and frustrations with the country I grew up in and accept that it
was I who didn’t fit in. As soon as I realized that, I was able to fully
live as who I am – a TCK – a person, not confused but well mixed. Now I
revel in my differences and actively seek out people who are similar to
us… i.e. other TCKs. The organization I work with is filled with
either TCKs or people who have children who are :o) I think that if
you’re able to find other TCKs you’ll find the balance that you need
in your life :o) I truly hope this helps! :o)