I shot an arrow into the air
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- Published on Sunday, May 24, 2015
By Rita Friesen
鈥淚 shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth, I know not where鈥�. This line from an American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, has been circling around in my thoughts this week. My reflections had me centering around that actions go out into our universe and we never really know the actual results of what we have done. The words entered and re-entered my consciousness enough that I resorted to searching for a copy of the poem.
鈥楾he Arrow and the Song鈥�, 12 lines long, says much more than what I gleaned from the first two lines. The second stanza begins, 鈥淚 breathed a song into the air, it fell to earth, I know not where.鈥� The imagery of a song is that it is a thing of beauty, of peace, and harmony. The imagery of the arrow is a more negative one. A symbol of conflict and retribution. Harsh and hurting.
Now my thoughts turned inward. Too many times I speak quickly, perhaps an arrow? A barb that cuts and wounds. Do I sing enough? Not a literal singing, for that is not one of my strengths. But acts of kindness and encouragement.
It is the concluding verse that states it well, much later the poet finds the arrow. Unbroken and embedded in an oak tree. An oak, one of the strongest trees, unbending and deep rooted, held the arrow captive. There had been no change in the arrow鈥檚 composition or purpose. The song, breathed into the air, 鈥渂eginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.鈥� The words had been accepted, cherished, polished and shared.
Re-reading this piece of poetry encouraged me. Weapons, words or items, cannot execute change. One can not be certain that anything positive will result from them. Like a negative judgement passed on us can cripple personal growth, it just sits there, lodged in the oak tree. I am challenged to sing more songs, speak more positive words of encouragement and affirmation. These positive thoughts, these melodious words will echo in the hearts and lives of others.
This type of thinking is like the 鈥榩ay it forward鈥� thinking. It also reminds me of the words of a song by B.J.Thomas. Critical of folks loving things and using people, he wrote, 鈥淯sing things and loving people, that鈥檚 the way it ought to be.鈥� There鈥檚 a song that will live in the heart of a friend.
