A Conversation With Myself, First & Foremost.
A reflection on the relationship between the body and the mind, in the poetic voice of Odel Asseille.
From the Editor.
For this Monday Feature, the White Rabbit Poetry Society is delighted to present Odel Asseille from The Mirror Room publication! Odel is a voice that speaks to the spaces between, the whispers of the soul, with introspection and intimate understanding. He has shared with us a glimpse into his process and a window into the most profound interaction between the body and the mind, presented as almost celestial beings in tune and harmony.
A Conversation With Myself, First & Foremost.
Poetry is a way for me to express myself — a conversation with myself, first and foremost. It helps me understand, even slightly, what I feel by naming it.
I get inspired by anything — surroundings, reflections; but most of my poems come when I’m not focused on writing. At work, or elsewhere, I mumble random lines aloud, and, if one resonates, I build a poem around that idea.
For the poem Le Corps et L’Esprit (The Body and The Mind), I was working when my body suddenly felt heavy, like everything I carried weighed tons. Despite a warm jacket, I was freezing, yet burning up — I was shaking hard. That’s when I realized I had a fever. I took some pills, and an hour later, I could finish my shift.
After that, these lines came to me: “Le corps sait ce que l’esprit ignore. L’esprit sait ce que le corps ignore.”
The body knows what the mind ignores. The mind knows what the body ignores.
My body sensed the fever before my mind did, and when my body wanted to give up, my mind found a reason to keep going.
Inspiration can come from anything. Sometimes I start with a precise idea. But most of the time, it’s right in the middle of chaos — when I ramble nonsense, trying to rhyme — that I find the heart of a poem.
The Body and the Mind
A five-act poem by Odel Asseille
Act I — The Wisdom of the Body
The body and the mind, Friends, Enemies, Two beings, Allies, In tension. The body knows What the mind Ignores. When the wind arrives gently, When it suddenly strikes the shore, The body feels the current Before the mind whispers: “Dance, little tree. Bend without breaking. Let the breath pass. Protect what still lives.” When the sun spreads its wings of fire, The body casts a shadow, A fragile shield against excess, Facing the storm Without understanding the sky. The body senses, Before the mind does, The falling of its leaves, The weak, passing branches, The change in the current Of time— The time of bad weather, The time to rest, To recharge, To release, To withdraw, To let go, To grow stronger, The time to begin again. And when the mind, Drunk on its own clarity, Dismisses these silent warnings, The body enforces the final law: The stop. The pain. The fall.
Act II — The Clarity of the Mind
The mind knows What the body Ignores. When the body, a giant without a map, Hesitates before immensity, When its own vision blinds it, And its mechanisms begin to fail, When sounds turn into lies, When scents intoxicate into forgetting, When touch promises false truths, And pleasure in disguise steals energy, The mind intervenes. It separates illusion from reality, Clears the sensory mirage, Corrects the course, Reminds the body of intention. The mind knows How to bring it back, Dispersing the effects, Placing it back on its feet.
Act III — The curse of the body
The body and the mind, Different, yet united. In hardship, Time strikes the tree mercilessly, Stealing its former shape, Its beauty, its strength. Or when violent thunder Crashes into the tree, Breaking its branches, Splitting its trunk, The body— Under the weight of a weakened mind, The mind’s darker double— May collapse, Abandon everything, Abandon the will to continue, The desire to rise. “It’s over,” it says, Remembering its former power, Its once unstoppable strength, Surrendering to agony And weakness. “I can’t go on,” it complains.
Act IV : The Necessary Lie
Then harmony— The breath of life— Awakens the mind. A mind filled with Determination, Vision, Passion. The mind, a skilled storyteller, Knows how to move the body, Through truths, Through promises, Or even through illusions— Like stories told to a child, Making them believe In Santa Claus. The mind whispers: “Listen to me, companion. Look around you. Tell me what you see.” “I’ve lost everything. There’s nothing left,” The body replies, Again. “No,” The mind answers softly. “You are mistaken. You are not alone. There is us. There is life.”
Act V: Not Today
With calm confidence, Before a silent audience, The mind speaks: “Listen to me. I am the captain, And you are my vessel. How many times have we survived These dangerous seas? How many storms have we faced together? How many harsh seasons have we crossed? Will we give up now— This time? No. I refuse. I know I have pushed you too hard. I know you are worn down. I know our situation feels hopeless. But it is not over. Not yet. I breathe. You breathe. We can continue. We must continue. Maybe we will recover What was taken from us. Maybe we will become better. We may survive, Or we may fall— But we move forward, Relentlessly, With dignity.” The mind knows How to move the body. “The day will come When we can no longer Sail these waters. But that day… Is not today. And when it comes, Our time Will simply arrive.” And the body, Exhausted but alive, Rises again. For it now understands That the mind is not its master, But its narrator— And without a story, No strength lasts. And together, They give everything, Without regret, Whatever the outcome. The body and the mind, Friends, Enemies, Two beings, Allies, In tension.
A simple reflection.
In my opinion, there are two dimensions to freedom — and this applies to much more than just love.
First, there is the intimate dimension. As long as it only involves me, I can do whatever I want. I can believe what I want, live how I choose, and work in any field. As long as my actions don’t affect anyone else, I am perfectly free.
However, the moment my actions affect those around me, freedom changes: it becomes the power to choose our own limits. For example, you can’t play loud music in the middle of the night. Every community has rules and principles to follow. You can change your community, of course, but you will simply exchange one set of restrictions for another. As the saying goes, this kind of freedom is the absolute power to choose your own chains.
In a relationship, this means that choosing to commit is choosing to enter a system with its own internal rules. In this space, each partner is no longer just “free,” but responsible for the other’s well-being and the health of the couple.
From the Editor.
The White Rabbit Poetry Society thanks you profoundly, Odel, for giving us and our community a chance to know you better! It has been an honor to receive your confidence in presenting your story and your poetry to our readers, and we can’t wait to see what else you have in store for all of us. We wish you much success and growth, as well as much more motivation to explore the spirit as intimately as only you can.
We are so grateful that you are here. Please leave a message if you are inspired. We would love to see what you write. The White Rabbit Poetry Society is a place to find some inspiration and even some friends. Don’t be shy—add links to your poetry!
Thank you Dorie and Brooklyn... You guys really made magic with that post. I'm glad having shared it with you.
I love the beautiful space you created for voices like mine, and it's an honor to be part of your journey !
May this poem be only the beginning !
That was a wonderful piece that I really enjoyed reading.
Congratulations to all involved.