Reblogs – Anonymously Hal & Upasana

Passion can quickly turn to animosity or indifference. Either way, it’s painful to endure.

Shrapnel by Anonymously Hal

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.

red rainbow (38) by Upasana

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

Shattering The Hold

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.

Afflicted

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.

Radhika Puttige

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.

Untitled

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

Hopelessness

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

Grief-Sicken

Muhammed Hassan – Unsplash

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

Originally published on I Write Her 10/1/2021

Longing For The Past

Redux
Originally published PhiloSusi 6/16/14. Posted on I Write Her on May 9, 2018, with slight revisions.

Zhong Yang Huang – Joy and sorrow

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

Rising Published on MasticadoresUSA!

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!

Rising

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

Reblogs – Rishika Kakar & DoRee MelNic

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.

Soloism by DoRee MelNic

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 

*NOTE: 8 of the World’s Most Solitary Animals

Reblogs – Jen Goldie & Marisela Brazfield

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