Modern Living

The Voyage ~ A Poem by Caroline Atherton Mason

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The Voyage

Caroline Atherton Mason

Whichever way the wind doth blow,
  Some heart is glad to have it so;
  Then blow it east or blow it west,
  The wind that blows, that wind is best.

  My little craft sails not alone:
  A thousand fleets from every zone
  Are out upon a thousand seas;
  And what for me were favoring breeze
  Might dash another, with the shock
  Of doom, upon some hidden rock.

  And so I do not dare to pray
  For winds to waft me on my way,
  But leave it to a Higher Will
  To stay or speed me; trusting still
  That all is well, and sure that He
  Who launched my bark will sail with me
  Through storm and calm, and will not fail,
  Whatever breezes may prevail,
  To land me, every peril past,
  Within his sheltering heaven at last.

  Then, whatsoever wind doth blow,
  My heart is glad to have it so;
  And blow it east or blow it west,
  The wind that blows, that wind is best.

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Finding Stillness in the Storm: Wisdom from “The Voyage”

In an era defined by our relentless pursuit of control, Caroline Atherton Mason’s The Voyage offers a bracing tonic for the modern soul. We spend our days refreshing feeds and checking forecasts, desperate to bend the “winds” of the economy, politics, and social status to our personal advantage. Yet, Mason reminds us that we do not sail alone.

The poem’s core meaning lies in radical surrender and collective empathy. Mason observes that a “favoring breeze” for one might mean “doom” for another. In our hyper-competitive contemporary society, this is a profound call to move beyond individualistic ambition. When we stop praying only for our own sails to fill, we acknowledge our shared humanity on a “thousand seas.”

By deferring to a “Higher Will,” the poet finds a psychological anchor that transcends circumstance. Whether the wind blows east or west, there is a transformative power in deciding that “that wind is best.” It isn’t about passivity; it’s about the resilience found in trusting the journey’s ultimate destination over its daily turbulence.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

“Am I fighting against the winds of my life, or can I find the courage to trust the One who launched my bark?”

since feeling is first ~ A Poem by e. e. cummings

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Why Feeling is First: Embracing e. e. cummings in a Digital Age

since feeling is first

e. e. cummings

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all the flowers. Don’t cry
– the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids’ flutter which says

we are for each other: then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life’s not a paragraph

and death i think is no parenthesis

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The Pulse Over the Paragraph

In his iconic poem “since feeling is first,” e. e. cummings delivers a defiant manifesto for the heart. He argues that those obsessed with the “syntax of things”—the rigid rules, logic, and structures of life—will never truly experience the depth of a “whole” kiss or the vibrancy of existence. To cummings, intuition and emotion are more “wise” than any intellectual pursuit.

In our contemporary society, we are drowning in “syntax.” We hyper-analyze our social interactions, curate our lives via algorithms, and optimize our productivity until we are more machine than human. We treat life like a series of data points to be edited. Cummings reminds us that “life’s not a paragraph.” It cannot be contained by neat margins or explained away with perfect grammar.

By prioritizing “blood” (instinct) over the “brain” (logic), we reclaim our humanity. In a world of cold screens, the “flutter of an eyelid” remains more profound than a thousand lines of code.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

In your drive to organize and optimize your daily life, what spontaneous “flutters” of joy are you accidentally editing out?

Light for the Journey: Finding Awe in a Busy World: Why We Should All Be “Married to Amazement”

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Today’s Quote:

“When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.” ~ Mary Oliver

Reflection

There is something so grounding about Mary Oliver’s desire to be “married to amazement.”

In our world of endless scrolling and 24/7 news cycles, it’s incredibly easy to become cynical or just plain exhausted. We often treat life like a checklist rather than an experience. But Oliver challenges us to flip that script—to embrace the world with the same wonder and commitment as a partner at the altar.

To me, this means finding “amazement” in the small, analog moments: the way the light hits your coffee mug or a genuine laugh with a stranger. It’s a reminder that even in a high-tech society, the most fulfilling thing we can do is stay soft-hearted and curious. Let’s try to take the world into our arms today, exactly as it is.

Something to Think About:

If you viewed “amazement” as a lifelong commitment rather than a fleeting feeling, what is one small thing in your neighborhood you would choose to fall in love with today?

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