Leaving Things

Hua Mu Lan Greeting
Her Spirit-Husband
by Marjorie Evasco

Part V

Harmony at Parting

When you leave, as you must
To let me battle free,

The words of ever-wandering
Upon my soles
Of ever-giving upon my palms,

Will remind me of old dreams,
White hands touching

Will compel again and again
The kiss of poetry
On my forehead

Scarring me forever
With love's birthmark.

Written more than 20 years ago, this poem is immortalized by literature teachers, who require their students to read it for academic reasons and by literary aficionados, whose affinity for poetry is infinite. This time, I share the same sentiments with this poem.

Any form of parting--physical, geographical, or emotional--is painful. It will leave you with scars.

For the most part, I always believe that parting is life's most desperate measure to become better and grow. Whether we desire it or not, we have to grow. It is only in the pace of our growth that we have a choice. For the rest, we have to live with it. What we are now is because of a series of occurrence in the past that we have absolutely no control of.

But somehow, the pain of parting is the best that we could get to compensate what we have sacrificed. Pain can be our fuel in flying alone. In flying alone, we are alive unlike deadstars colliding and getting lost in space.

Ma'am Marj Evasco wrote to me once that I will learn to grow in beauty and wisdom because of my affinity to poetry. Poetry is all I have. No one can take it away from me. She is right. I will grow and become better.

In parting from you now, all I can leave is an excerpt of "Scaling Jade Mountain" by Ma'am Marj:

I will stand the summit air
And breathe to you
A wistful song of waiting.