Passion can quickly turn to animosity or indifference. Either way, it’s painful to endure.
We ignited each other
like pipe bombs.
Our harsh words
sailing into one another
like shrapnel…
And leaving nothing
but ragged scars
and bloodied flesh.
they leave
and leave
and leave
and leave again
until we stop caring
about their absence (and presence)
and learn to live
in the home they abandoned
without thinking twice
Redux
Intensity laced with lunacy; it’s seductively subliminal.
Past hurt swept away by the look masquerading as deeply in love.
It’s not love.
It’s danger.
And it easily has you.
If you are not careful.
Psychological warfare playing out in the depths of your mind.
Don’t be deceived by the charm of the snakes, the force of the demanding ones
or the egos of those where clever observation never occurs.
They will hurt you.
Maybe not right away, but they will.
The scars of learning are deep and never healing.
See it before it gets a hold of you.
Originally published 10/22/16 on PhiloSusi. Re-posted with minor revisions 8/10/2018 on I Write Her.
Redux
The internal battles – agitation, pain, fear – plague us.
It’s a thrashing within.
Dwelling in our emotions.
Acting out in our physical state.
Challenging our mental well-being.
Longing for a release or respite from discomfort.
It can sometimes happen, someday.
And if it does, it comes in the form of a favorable resolution.
Finally, there can be some ease.
Effort gets us to the other side of affliction.
And it makes us who we are.
Originally posted 7/21/2018 on I Write Her.
Sunset
calligraphic swirls
paints the western horizon
scarlet poetry
Anxiety
worry clobbers deep
conquers pragmatic mindset
the present succumbs
Introspection
sounds of solitude
conversation with the soul
rejuvenation
Rage
fractious tendency
emotional servitude
diabolic mien
Blossom
an ombre palette
iridescent redolence
floral burgeon blooms
Poetry
visceral feelings
lyrical tapestry
inky confluence
~~~
An avid blogger, Radhika blogs on radhikasreflection on WordPress, which is a potpourri of poetry, prose, and musings inspired by everyday life. She has also published her book of poetry and haiku titled Eclectic Verses. Her poems have been featured in The Kali Project, Spillwords, The Sound of Brilliance, The Indian Periodical, and several other online platforms. Radhika was first featured on The Short of It on May 15, 2020.
Submissions are now closed but if you’d like to be featured on The Short of It in the future,
click here for the submissions guidelines.
#TheShortofIt
Redux
in the clutches of this mental sinkhole
forced effort my only ally
my day is silent
with only slow tears and exhaustion
the bed, my refuge
the external world feels so far removed
from inside my womb of despair
dark, alone, and unwell
i need to stop sinking
or eventually, i will float
Inspired by Sadje’s What do you see? #136
the monumental woes
sudden jolts to the psyche
a shock of endless wounding ripples
splintering into a cascade of emotions
gigantic internal rifts open in us
flayed open in a jagged void
our mind, body and soul
doing the symbiotic dance of intense unease
putrid words heat up inside needing purged
they force themselves up and out unintelligibly
hot screamed tears flow down anguished cheeks
our reality forever changed
in time we hush our voice to gutteral moans
the liquid from our eyes slows to a trickle
the suffering seals us up within ourselves
and the sadness clings to every fiber in our being
arthritic pain felt everywhere there are no bones
living is hard
Redux
Originally published PhiloSusi 6/16/14. Posted on I Write Her on May 9, 2018, with slight revisions.
uninvited days of the past
appear at the door of my present
they push inside
to fill the heaviness in the room
a smile begins to form on my weary face
uninhibited laughter
passionate entanglements
mundane and easy tasks
all flickering a pretty picture
actively watching
the gloriously faded memories
now vividly replaying in my mind
but the door closes eventually
and i’m again
fully toiling in the sorrow
which summoned another life
tears, uninvited, fall silently
the wetness glazes over the joy
images from a previous time
return for safe-keeping
until my mind summons them
again
Life is hard; we all know this. But I always hope that each of us retains a bit of hope and strength to get through the bad times. I’m sure that most of the readers who visit here, know that about me. This piece, which I’m so happy that Gabriela Milton, Editor of MasticadoresUSA, has accepted for publication, speaks about the heaviness of days gone wrong and the determination in spite of it. Enjoy!
already exhausted upon awakening
the day begins anew
while the brain is slow
the body is even slower
what weighs me down
isn’t easily lifted…
Please read the rest of the piece at MasticadoresUSA
Romances end, psyches are damaged, and we end up alone. Is being on your own scary or empowering?
The Aftermath by Rishika Kakar
I sit here in silence
surrounded by the echoes
of who we used to be.
I sit here in silence
This Darkness is my companion
how did it get ahold of me?
I sit here in silence
The memories of our past
clasp my throat; I am choking.
I sit here in silence
The tears of your love
in my eyes, are blinding me.
I sit here in silence
There’s a void inside of me
it’s where your promises used to be.
I sit here in silence
Dealing with the aftermath
of an epic love. Your love.
I breathe in. I breathe out.
Inhale. Exhale.
The warm tears
Swell, before they break
Leaving behind
A cool stream
Running down my face
Hiding the remnants, behind
The closed door
Just feet away
From all of life
Agonizing over chaos – whatever form it may take. Haven’t we all been there?
Synchronic Chaos by Jen Goldie
A broken Heart is caused by synchronized chaos
The result is:
agonized confusion,
shortness of breath,
a gaping mouth
sans sound,
silently screaming.
of us lost angels by Marisela Brazfield
promises are like water to me
for you they quench temporarily
all that i fear for you and us
like the thirst of the dying
i can stop making promises
that i won’t agonize over the shit disease insanity violence and utter hell that we both see
we can compromise and believe
that there will be promises of better life
like we will plant flowers
but they might not smell like roses
as the smell of decay clings
promises can be multi everything
disciplinary lateral purpose conscience
promises are sugar and wine
rat poison
one daft note fleeting in the wind
a fart or love
i can’t tell where we are going
or how to get on this new road
let’s not make promises anymore
let’s just stay eye to eye
let’s just see what i will do
how i will move and act and love and lose
i refuse to promise that i will not turn the other way
if you don’t promise that you will make this inferno go away
i will say that i can accept my heart broken
and that when the camera flashes your way
remember that humility diligence and hard work are the better red carpet accessory
for you
our queen of us lost angels
I Write Her 