Normally, I would be sharing a 100-word story, but XRAYMIKE79’s postings continue to get under my skin in a good way. The Sunday Whirl hasn’t been posted yet, so I choose to share the last three pieces I’ve read by this brilliant poet instead! I hope they connect with you as they have with me. I want to thank Nan’s Notebook for pointing me in this direction.
I’m not in a good headspace right now to write my usual Sunday 100-word story, but I want to share this instead. Things can and do suck, but recall who’s in charge.
Posted by xraymike79 in Collapse of Industrial Civilization, Mental Health
In darkness pressed by fences, steel and stone,
Where hope was starved and names were all unknown,
A man could lose himself in hunger’s night,
Yet still within, the will endured to fight.
The world reduced to hunger, cold, and fear,
Each day a struggle, every loss severe.
Yet some gave bread, a word, a glance, a hand—
A proof that spirit’s freedom still could stand.
For meaning isn’t found in fleeting gain,
Nor in the chase for power, praise, or fame.
It’s ignited in our labor, love, and pain—
In how we carry sorrow’s quiet flame.
Suffering ignored becomes a shadowed ache,
But how we meet it is the choice we make.
A person, stripped of all but breath and bone,
Can meet the end with honor as their own.
The body starved, the mind began to roam,
To memories of laughter, warmth, and home.
A single tree, a blossom on a bough,
Could whisper: “I am life—eternal now.”
In memory’s shelter, beauty’s fleeting stream,
A sunset, music, or a distant dream—
The soul can rise, though flesh is chained and torn,
And find in suffering the chance to be reborn.
When all seems lost and fate has dealt its blow,
We still can choose which way our hearts will go.
For our last freedom none can ever steal—
To choose our stance, to think, to love, to feel.
So though the world may strip you to the core,
And hardship seals off every possible door,
Remember—choice endures when all else fails:
To kindle hope, even as the night prevails.
I was absolutely blown away by these few simple verses that so powerfully speak to the effects of having lived thoroughly. Thank you for taking my breath away, Carolyn!
Haiga #97
A view into
infinity
is spread out through
eternity
in all the love
one could think of
to boldly hold
© Stephen W. Buchanan 2024
My piece Horizons inspired Stephen to pen this lovely piece above. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
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
I absolutely love being the catalyst for good—through writing, deeds, actions, or whatever! Thanks to Terry for getting the ball rolling!
An ending or a beginning?
Girl Blue – A Love Song by Redcat
Girl blue
What’s love done to you
Girl blue
Your heart torn in two
Whirlwind is through
He has left you for her
His love, never true
Sneaked around, lied to you
Girl blue
What’s love done to you
Girl blue
Your heart torn in two
Pink dreams, crushed, adieu
Sad sorrow, shines from you
Once turtle doves flew
No more dreaming for you
Girl blue
What’s love done to you
Girl blue
Your heart torn in two
No hugs, no rendezvous
Lonely nights before you
Cold winter storms brew
Raging winds to cleanse you
Girl blue
What’s love done to you
Girl blue
Your heart torn in two
of love and honor by Jeff Flesch
houses made
of straw, and
fortresses,
created
on the shifting
sands of time,
without knowing
of another relevant
offering.
ensues,
instability,
during,
the most
prestigious
journey,
of a life lived, of
love known,
and loss
betrothed.
wedded,
hand-in-hand,
we search for reasons,
contemplate
the faltering, and
fight
the quell
on the inside.
battling back,
we retrace
our steps,
and begin to create
new foundations,
one brick at
a time;
laying them
one upon another,
in a fantastic
lattice,
of love
and honor.
Life seems to be finding the balance in the extremes or learning to move forward when perhaps standing still is where we are more comfortable. What a journey it is!
There is hell in hello
Good in goodbye
Lie in believe
Over in lover
End in friend
Ex in next
If in life
It all depends on what you want to see
All I Have Ever Known by River Dixon
if i understood
how to open my eyes
would i dare to gaze
beyond the fragile strands
that define the only
place i’ve ever known
to examine the fires
which once heard
call me to walk
into the flames
without fear
as the flesh i so love
is stripped away, melted
mingled with the ash
of yesterday’s footsteps
breaking, falling
into a thousand pieces
as the resounding truth
carries me from this life
the only one
i have ever known
You either get her, or you don’t.
Conversations by Frank Solanki
I: I
Her: (sigh)
I: Me
Her: We
It Is She by The Blighters Rock
is it she
that births the tears
of joy and pain
is it she
who made the madness
crack my soul again
is it she
who drives the clouds
away from darker days
is it she
who shines like sunlight
into my waiting gaze
is it she
who makes complete
all the parts of me
do I really
need to question
it is she, it is she.
Once in a while, a special relationship comes along that has us firing on all cylinders, and feeling an implosion may be imminent. They are hard to ignore, hard to forget, and will occupy our minds for years to come. And if we’re lucky, will last a lifetime.
Germination by A Faded Romantic’s Notebook
Once that dark
decadent
dangerous
but oh so delicious
seed
has been planted
in her fertile
creative
intelligent
imagination
it cannot help
but grow.
I Thought We Lost It by Michelle Ayon Navajas
i thought we lost it
that with which why we love
the most together
the endless conversations
the pointless arguments
the nonsense “sense of humor”
i thought we lost
who wouldn’t?
time and distance
made us strangers
life changes and perspectives
made us different people
or so i thought
i thought we really lost it
i really thought so, that
there wouldn’t be stories to tell
there wouldn’t be crazy theories to argue
there wouldn’t be silly jokes to laugh with
i thought we really really lost it
but i was wrong
for no amount
of time
or distance
can break
that crazy bond
that crazy connection
we have,
only for each other
Finding out who and where you were meant to be is the best gift you can give yourself.
Untitled Senryū by Suzette Benjamin
“If you want to know the truth of who you are, walk until not a person knows your name… A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet introspection.” ― Patrick Rothfuss
****
Senryū inspired by the above quote:
on a winding road
passing by a traveler
I find she was me
pulled by
dark memories
pushed by dreams, parts of me
ride ahead – I disentangle
myself
Don’t be careless with your words and deeds. It hurts.
Sown Up by Ramblings of a Fragile Mind
I don’t feel better
I haven’t forgotten
I’ve just stopped telling you
How I feel
A few carelessly spoken words can wreak havoc in another’s life
Malicious gossip can taint reputations for life
Don’t pour tar on pristine surfaces
Don’t malign innocent lives without reason
Be careful of words you utter because
Once spoken they can never be recalled
I Write Her 