Symmetry58
  Bronze Member

I'd never assumed anyone could be offended by such a poem either, but it has happened to me in one instance years ago on Redbubble. I'd written about my friend Jane from South Africa only to have her become offended that I'd write a descriptive poem about her. I meant absolutely no harm whatsoever, but she completely mistook my intent. I'd based it on some of the issues she'd told me she'd contended with in her life that she'd overcome - nothing too personal, just things people go through. All I did was a recant of her plight and how she'd won many battles to arrive at her destination. Well, apparently, seeing all those shortcomings she'd told me about brought her back to her old self and made her feel uncomfortable. I obviously respected her wishes and removed the poem. Jane, I think, had a lot of personal issues, so her thought processes weren't particularly that of the average individual. I tried to see it through her eyes and so sort of understood where she was coming from. We're all unique in more ways than a thousand, that is for damn skippy. I've lived, I've learned, hence. more »

Who can fight an urge when it crawls inside and pleads to be heard? Certainly not I. Hence, above. The spirit moved me, so I gushed to keep the urges in check. I think it's always healing to create pieces like these to allow us to deal with and heal from our pasts, but, as you've stated, it's also a nice mix to pull ourselves forward as we heal to consider what tomorrow might bring. This is our one and only life after all, so why spend the entirety of it dwelling with what we can't change. We might as well move forward and enjoy the present. My older brother has lost a six-month old son and a 34-year-old daughter, and he told me he no longer lives in the past because he knows firsthand that life can end in a second. It's one thing to see or hear the words, but it's an entirely different animal to have lived it like he has. Self-affirming poems are a great way to move ahead. I hope writing this wasn't offensive to anyone or has brought back any painful memories they'd rather forget. It was written out of respect for the little I've come to know of you. more »

If this doesn't move you, check your pulse. Utterly beautiful, heartfelt piece, Laina. This made piece me think of a song I've always loved that has also touched my heart over the years. Not sure if you've heard, but I love it. - Boz Scaggs - You can have me anytime. https://youtu.be/W4S7FPXQxtg

*You found me in the middle of a hurricane - lost.
*I was in over my head - searching.
*We both brought peace with a tinge of pain - discovery.
*I didn’t care where the road would lead - rebirth.
*I felt safe, out in the pouring rain - growth.
*I wasn’t scared to be lost - safety in trust.
*I found my peace and breathlessness - contentment.
*And found the rift was in me, all along - awakening.
*My dreams, they lie beyond the stars - hopeful.
*You don’t have to apologize - acceptance.
*And I will always be grateful - love. more »

What an utterly amazing recollection of a determined little three-year-old who set out to make her own way in the world. For as much as I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing poem, I am left on seat's edge. So, tell, me Patricia (My Mom's name, God rest her soul) what cereal had you opted for? Captain Crunch? Fruit Loops? Apple Jacks? Or do you fancy yourself a Fruity Pebbles girl? :-P more »

This was as much about me as you, Laina. I needn't know you to know you because what I do know of you, I also know to be true of myself. This was written to honor those like us who struggle to lose and find ourselves. You've helped me sort myself as I have hopefully helped you in any way at all. Thank you for your life. I hope you choose to love yourself as you so deserve. more »

Andddddd breathe. ;-P

Living is such the pinnacle process for incurring growth and wisdom. We get cut, we recover, we act, we react, we love, we hate, we sooth and we suffer as the rubs build to harden us where we required hardening and soften us where we require softening. We learn where our own vulnerabilities lay and where that which we're unwilling to tolerate reside as well. We become a fortress of life's making based on our own individual wants, needs and desires. We hold ourselves accountable for past indiscretions just as we reward ourselves for our attributes in having lifted others along our journey.
I love staying a student to life, as well other's hurts, loves and learnings. Such as is the case with poetry, in particular poetry that reaches into you and forces you to feel, contemplate and grow like this piece. For as much as I've loved your work, this may be my favorite.
Presumably, Charmane, we become more adept at whatever we tend to engage in, be it athletics, sowing, knitting, writing, reading, etc. Such "should" be the case with living. On paper the more we live, the better we should get at it, yes? Not always the case, however, is it? We allow emotion, dysfunction, accumulation of past indiscretion, guilt and many more to alter our course to steer us from our respective truths...IF our minds and hearts become tainted or hardened enough to blind us to our faults. And so it is we work our focus toward growth and wisdom so as to not find ourselves at the bottom of our worth looking up wondering how we'd managed to dig ourselves so deeply into a pit of low esteem and feelings of worthlessness.
The road is long and the journey frail that leads or detracts from self and true purpose. Love is the intangible that assures us to assume a high road mentality so that we land on "Go" when the time comes that we ascend beyond our flesh and into our next endeavor closer to the source of our magnificence. Focus and love being the main component to where we land ourselves in the end. This includes forgiveness of others and ourselves as we all fall front and center amid a calamity of whether to heal or hold, let go or harbor, from the iniquities of the fallible, all of which we inherently are.
Your heart and hand are wonders to behold, Miss. Thank you for your wisdom. more »

*Has it*

Poetry.com, where is my comment? Have it been deleted? If so, why?

Meh! Don't sweat the sensitivity thing. I hadn't even noticed. Althoughhhhhh, now that you mention it....*sniff* :-P

I think some of my comments are going missing for some odd reason. Charmane told me one of my recent comments disappeared and that seems to be the case here as well. Hmmm. Is Poetry.com censoring Steve? Bet they're jealous of my way cool, outdated tatts. more »

Oh no! LOL! Many of those poems are not that good if I'm to be honest. I was still learning to write back then but wanted a compilation of stuff I'd written. I didn't think anyone would actually purchase it though. Please bare with many of those poems as they will not be decipherable to anyone but me pretty much. I do plan on maybe doing a book this year, however. It should be a much better compilation. You have to be the kindest person in the galaxy. Thank you so much, but please don't come gunning for me if you hate it. ;-P LOL!!! more »

Hello, it's me again, Mr. Verbose. LoL Ya killin me here, buddy. These gorgeous, sentimental pieces are drawing me back to myself and former life. I was him yet again. I recall a former beauty queen, Miss New Hampshire, I had dated early 80s. Lynda Poulin was her name. I was so rotten then. My friend Norm and I were camping at Sebago Lake in Maine like we had every year for 6 years running. Lynda insisted on tagging along MUCH to Norm's chagrin. A couple days in he insisted she leave and go home, to which I agreed. I told her to please go home because this was Norm's and my annual guy getaway. Reluctantly she drove away. I immediately seized the opportunity, like I always had, to mess around with one of the beauties at the lake. Angie her name was, from Fitchburg Mass.



Well, a couple days later as Norm and I sat on the beach talking about our escapades, who comes trouncing across the sand straight at me but Lynda. Eyes rolled, and with great exasperation, I met her head on.



Her first words - "I had a dream you cheated on me." My first deflection - "You dreamed I cheated on you with Bev from Canada didn't you?" Her response - "Yes, I did." My deceit - "I swear I did not cheat on you with Bev." Bev was another young regular at the lake I had messed around with, along with others, over the years. Thankfully, and much to my now belated chagrin, Lynda bought the BS thinking I had, in fact, not cheated at all.



I recall that night being very drunk and mean to Lynda and her crying hard telling me "All I want to do is make you happy." How hard that hit me and how hard I wept I cannot begin to tell you. It's been 40 years now and that night and her pain still haunt the cruelness of my former nature. Do you know that about 6 or 7 years ago Linda actually went out of her way to find me on Facebook so as to friend me??? One of the first things I did was to apologize for how rotten I had been to her decades prior. She couldn't even remember it had been so long...BUT I remembered and remembered HARD. Again I ramble, but this is what these poems do to and for me. They assure me to never be that person again because at the end of every selfish lashing is a soul worthy of love and respect. Thank you for helping me remember that fact, Charmane. more »

One last thing before I talk you to death - when Linda and I split, we were actually very cordial and friendly at that point. She's started dating someone and I was seeing someone. She told her guy that I was still going to be part of the kid's lives because they loved me and I them. Well, true to her form, she allowed me to take them once or twice before cutting me off completely and without word. That was it - no call, no "Ron doesn't really like the idea," nothing. Just cold-stare silence. I thought, well there's Linda for you - no care or concern for the other party, rather only what suits her at a given moment. I got that she had a new man. How about letting me know you weren't comfortable with me being in their lives while you dated another dude??? Hard pill to swallow, yes, but understood as well. Nah! Cut him off at the knees and let him limp the rest of the mystery home. Unreal. If I sat and recalled every act she perpetrated on me back then, I'd be institutionalized. She was THE worst. Okay, moving along now. ;-) more »