released from bondage
shedding all the made-up style
letting pretense slide
Author: Susi Bocks
Life is the daily privilege of new discoveries about who I am. I evolve into more roles as my life continues towards its inevitable end. Many admirable hats have been worn throughout my existence, and some have come to an end. I've been a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother, an aunt, a sister-in-law, a daughter-in-law, a paid worker in the capitalistic system in our world, a business person, and a volunteer for many worthy causes over the years. The current role of writer and author is hopefully not the last step in my journey that began as a blank slate. I'm currently residing in the middle of the United States.
Layla Todd
Leap
My thoughts congeal under a loveless moon.
Where I still have blood to give
I give it. I would rather
Go first than be the one
Left behind to dance alone in the waterfall.
Aligning
If I can pick out the tiny purple and white
Violets on the earth’s bosom while
Standing on her thighs
I can grasp a handful of
Seashells with the sunset trapped inside
While balancing on the stale waves of yesterday and still
Fall in love with the moon.
Straight On
The wind strips my skin away
I savor the soft touch of
Unobstructed moonlight.
I do not see the sun rise until
It is upon me. The colors are harsh and
Demand I adapt myself to curves or
Forever cut myself on my corners.
Descent
You tell me to forget wings exist and to
Forget they set me free and
I fall back to you and
I try to move in a straight line and
You force me to
Deviate into circles and
I spiral toward the earth and land in the
Aftermath of a loveless yesterday.
Landing
The dirt draws me in and tries to love me
I tumble down a slope to find the river
In it I see the sky.
~~~
Layla Todd is a word witch and poetess from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She is studying Creative Writing at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and her work has previously appeared in Persona Literary Magazine, Delta Poetry Review, and Visual Verse. Visit her at ninchronicles.com for further writing. Layla was first featured in 2020 and then again in 2022. You can find her previous features HERE.
If you’d like to be featured on The Short of It in the future,
click here for the submission guidelines.
#TheShortofIt
Culmination
Inspired by Reena’s Xploration Challenge #328 &
Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Jaded Glory
i approached like a child
filled with passion
but without direction
her power encouraged me
her ire influenced me
her determination guided me
becoming greatness
an exquisite struggle
but exhausting
feelings of jaded glory
on this path of self-actualization
led me to who i am today
Horizons
a view into infinity
the promises of potential are endless
for now, i’ll reflect on my good fortune
as the future will come soon enough
Radiant Savior
Redux
oh, faithful beacon
shine your light so bright and clear
my guide to safety
Originally posted 11/28/2018 on I Write Her.
With Each Step
Inspired by What do you see #235
at a tender age
we’re not yet geared
to think we inhabit a greater space
we plod along
open to new experiences
and growth opportunities
but when greatness is felt
finally
we look as tall as we project
W.W. Part II
A continuation of Water Witching…
The light of the flames created wispy shadows on her face as her boots stamped deep footprints into the muddy earth. A sly look emerged as she gazed at the brilliant sliver above us. I could tell Daphne wasn’t sleepy from our adventure today. Perhaps I could draw her thoughts out by telling more stories about the past.
“Would you like to know more about our people, Daphne?”
“Sure,” she says as she cracks a big smile.
“Our ancestors emerged from the Red Sea, setting up a village on the outskirts of Jeddah under a star-filled sky and bright moon.”
To be continued, maybe… 😉
Hope you enjoyed it, Val!
We’re Still Here
charlatans, all
trying to predict the end of the world
thousands of years of fear-mongering
have gotten us to this point
of absolutely nothing
occurring on anybody’s watch
all charlatans
Kritika Maheshwari
inside the head when you arrived
eyes
tease me not with your eyes
speak to me in words
kiss me with the heart you hide
let go of the emotional flood
arms
wooing whistling
naughty knots untied
off the sheaths, on the sheets
in your arms is my paradise
it’s time
emotions unpaired
heart raised tearful tides
on and forward mode
the alarm rang, ‘it’s time’
stronger
leaning onto your shoulders knowing mine are stronger
helped me erase the part of my trying to be dependent on you
remains
there is no missing
there is no pain
my love for you
still remains
~~~
Mostly she pens her works on her personal blog – valorousbird.wordpress.com. A few of her submissions have made it through to international and national online publications. One of her works can be found in an anthology, And I Healed, published in 2022. Many of her short poems have been featured in the two anthologies by The Short Of It – The Sound of Brilliance and Reflections & Revelations. She writes because it’s magic. A solo traveler, a seeker, and a believer that life is magic if you are aware of your breath. Kritika, a Yoga Professional, can be contacted at valorousbird@gmail.com
If you’d like to be featured on The Short of It in the future,
click here for the submission guidelines.
#TheShortofIt
Her Strength
Inspired by Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Resourceful &
Reena’s Xploration Challenge #327 – Liminal
she inhabits
the liminal space
between dreams and reality
where her inimitable creativity flourishes
and where she tasks her resourceful ability
to navigate the boundaries of imagination
bestowing on us her discoveries
thereby enhancing our lives and minds
she is a gift
I Write Her 