“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to
—J. M. Barrie, The Little Minister, 1891
self
Responsibilities
Don’t fall prey to the illusion that duty is only to others — you have just as much a duty to care for yourself.
XV reasons
Sometimes I feel like life misprinted me.
They healed my heart
“I have a request to make of those who read Empty Shells. If any friend surmises he has discovered the author he will be courteous enough to keep my secret. I have left out a great many poems that would have betrayed my identity, and put in none that I have cause to fear. Why then publish? I have no right to count on a long life and I am not willing to be ‘edited, revised, and corrected.’ On the other hand, I feel towards my poems as many women do towards their weak children; and treasure them because if they were conceived in grief they healed my heart. After the first smart of a new loss was softened, next to writing my greatest comfort was reading; and I did not then seek great authors. Shakespeare, Milton, and Goethe were naught to me: I sought minor Poets — of whom I dare hope to be one. Could I but be a like comfort to some simple, sorrowing hearts I should feel my life-griefs had not been in vain.”
2024
I know a guy.
Angry. Festering
in disappointment
of the world
and of himself.
A little depressed.
Sick of doing
the same. freaking.
thing. every day.
Wondering where
his lost youth went.
Hungering to replace
the comfort and
all the good things
in his life that
have gone away.
But resolutely
continuing on
doing his duty.
Living with the pain.
Loving while he can.
Taking any little
laugh he can find.
Then doing it all
over again. Perhaps
you know him too.
Perhaps we all do
— inside.
Cicatrixoxo
Most of our scars are internal.
Queen of Self
Work hard, enrobe yourself in velvet hope, and rule your world!
Perfectionism
I beat myself up every day without so much as a scratch.
Consenses
All we experience is reality filtered with self.
Becoming
Decorate yourself from the inside out.
Remains
Healing from grief is allowing the courage and purpose within you and the love someone else left you, to merge and create a new sense of being.
Wrought
Grief is processing what’s been taken from you, what’s still within you, and all the blessings and memories left behind by the one you’re grieving.
Vertigo
i think my body
is afraid of heights
because my mind
is already always
too dangerously
close to the edge