I wrote this poem on the occasion of my friend Sean Nestor’s 40th birthday. There is a lot to unpack — just as with Sean! I gave a simple framed copy of this poem, without author info, to unsully the obvious. More importantly, I hand-wrote the poem inside one of my favorite books, Soul’s Code, by James Hillman, a Jungian psychologist. I included this link, appliedjung.com/a-blue-fire/, to provide a detailed background on James Hillman, and to elucidate the reference to “Blue” in the title, beyond the allusion to melancholy. The book, Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling, is an epic attempt at a holistic view of meaning in one’s life, in sharp contrast to the reductionistic means that dominate western culture. I suspect that this book would be refreshing for anyone who has experienced being reduced to something less than.
Blue Prince of Life
There is a character
Named Sean
Destined to be free
Sow becoming
Soully what he can be
Or whatever
It’s called
Wear universal truths
Go to dye
And are borne
As colorful biographical realities
Sean has the rare privilege, unduplicated so far, of two dedicated poems to them, outside of family members. The first was on the occasion of his 29th birthday: More Than, a Nester — Owed to Seán Nestor, in honor of his 29th birthday
