This is indeed a provocative piece of wordsmithing. You've captured the essence of a writer's conscience, i.e., the will to present ideas that may have been thought in one way, but now have an alternative voice. Well done.

To paraphrase, I would say that musings are like the random mutation of cells in the body. Some turn to cancer and kill the host. Some profess traits that enhance, and thus, when passed on through procreation become part of the living body of life.

Ron

An eloquent and thought-provoking write. Great work Jude.

Chanti

excellent, as always

Really like this!!! We are what we make of ourselves...our world is, at least 50% what we care to make it...and, yet, where is that leading us? This was pure soul searching...thank you for the thoughts.
May you have a wonderfully fulfilling New Year,
Jim

Your incredible imagery cannot help but awaken the thought process and the senses of the one who reads your words. Your unique style shines once again, Jude. Thank you. Love and best wishes to you,

Regis

another oustanding write jude
Peace be with you

William
Happy New Year

What a joy to read! Poetry and wisdeom abound in this marvelous offering...may the Maker of Jude lead the way...Safi

Jude..Pointing to the aperture of a distant galaxy
Scribed and signed by no one
Wow very profound and much to ponder
Absolutely brilliant, I must read again!!
Wishing you and your family an abundance of blessings
Peace Love and Joy....for The New Year ....Morning Star

It is the search that is interesting as long as we allow ourselves to flow with it in peace :-) Expectations just drives us nuts.....not easy not to do.

the continuing search Jude...
I too will "reconsider the likely directions"
Great thought here!

Letting the mind's eye open up and take in all the sweetnes that surrounds you. A wonderful way to begin to see the world anew and take on a new direction in life's journey....

Be safe,
Karen

One of your recent best, Jude, in terms of the precision with which you manage the intangibles with crystal thought processes that are also delightfully eliptical. Reminds me somewhat of something you said in Inside Falling Out, about the life and death of mystique and reason being synonymous. For those whose emotions and intellects are very tied in, that experiential flood-plain can be both a desired and an unwanted place - where that mystique we have quested after in a rational sense is de-mystified and no longer satifies the emotional relationship with that previously unknown understanding. Sure, there is pretty well enough magic in our known perceptions of the universe and our interactions with it to feed the "logical" poetry within all us "living poems" for whom life must necessarily be "poetry", right?, to be able to settle ourselves down with the beauty of the angel's feather appearing mysteriously on a bare wooden floor, but that then just points up the fact that what we can know, perceive and testify to with our cognitive facets on this plane and in this universe probably DOES also direct our attentions towards that Aperture into the Great Unknown. Sorry... too much Christmas Pudding and have been away too long, but this is a great one to come home to! Begs the question, is it possible to have any way to access any sort of info about a galaxy that is as yet unsigned and scribed by no-one, except by way of what we already are able to perceive in this one?! :)) Hope your Christmas has been ab fab and that the New Year brings many resolutions and fresh discoveries. Signing off and departing for somewhere distant and unknown... Kosmic Kate xx

A masterpiece!
Have a very Happy New Year Robert!

To gaze into the wonder of our Universe and then to delve into the the unknown inside of us is pretty much the same quest. I'm as you in thinking way out there or deep inside myself. It opens all sorts of discovery.

Love,
Susan

Magnificent offering.....well done poet!!

Lvoe Tinka

thought provoking and introspective write! I enjoyed this very much.

A profound look inside your inner thoughts...

Carole~

Have a Prosperous 2008 Robert...
Ron

Jude -this is a trip! I think it is a brilliant contemplation - balanced, instructive -subjective and objective description of search, discovery and purpose -your focus, and what you see and share, and how, is an inspiration to me -thank you -today i am going to wander around and try and be a bit more objective with my imagined selves!! :D Cheers Jude, Nicky xx

I love your mind.

The works you create my friend are indeed special and often feel like you are letting us look through that camera of your mind where Zoom ins and wide pans let you capture the images of life that you seek around you. Well done.

Fee

So maybe I should simply
Rest among fallen leaves, stones and broken branches
Inhabiting the natural world

Very often what I end up doing when the search seems hopeless.

You opened the aperture to your soul...deeply moving, thought provoking...excellent. I, too, am in love with "restless soil of my heart." Beautiful.

(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.

'restless soil of my heart'. Wow! Cheers

I find this poem to be quite thought provoking. I shall ponder a bit on what you have written. My first reaction is that you are about to have a huge change come into your life. You are feeling it but you cannot speak of it, only write of it. In essence, we are what we write for it comes from within somewhere that we don't consciously know of. There is so much here to comment on but I shall just say that it is extremely well done, Jude.

A beautiful and profound write my friend, for beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder...it can be found in the most unexpecting places. I have been labeled strange, unusual, different, deep, and a bit odd because of my thoughts, beliefs, and visions, but we are who we are and one of the greatest blessings in life is portraying our-self as we so desire. Enjoyed this much...outstanding imagery, touching write enjoyed!
Blessings,
Joyce B.

Jude,

The diversified self may search forever for that signature. Peace, Love and Blessings Always, Paul.

Imagined selves are born from the self that imagines them, which means they are just as real. Maybe. I love the title and the whole imagery that conveys meaning to the search.

Axilea

...I find beauty in broken branches also...for within the openness of their shadow...light is seen.
you have given me thought...
John

“The selves that inhabit poetry
Are imagined selves”

Yes, but isn't that how we wish to
perceive ourselves?, and our thoughts
help make us what we are,so that we
can become what we imagine

anyway,I admire how you know
yourself so well, yet seek to
become a new voice always wanting
to best what already is so fine

in a way this reminds me of what
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiates
"There is nothing new under the sun"

We are not the words that we speak, but rather the moments of silence that settle between them. The thoughts that form themselves without our discerning opinions are the truths that we must live by. We often think too much about those things which cannot be explained by science, and that can leave us wondering if we have foolishly been following a wrong voice. We should learn how to let go of the need to explain that which we know to be the truth and simply allow our self to live within it. This is a profound and thought provoking offering. Happy New Year, Jude!

Take care,

Sherry