There was a girl
Her eyes blurred with rain and skin bleached by ghosts
Her hair a wistful wysteria on a sun-drenched porch, that she wound round her fingers while she dreamed
Of a self that she always looked for
…
She dreamed of a house
Where purple flowers of her hair became a paintbrush, and emerald leaves a palette of her desires.
She painted the walls with an honest portrait of herself and did not apologize for her flaws or beauty
Especially not to herself
…
In every room
She slept under a sheet of newspaper, each from a different day of her life
She made a collage of all her fragments and left charcoal footprints everywhere she went
Indelible imprints of herself that she started to love
And even give to others
. .
She sat on the porch
Her eyes clear, her skin warm.
She wore her daydreams in lush cascades of her hair, and held herself in her mind
She saw her desires on the path in front of her
And followed them
featured image: Kawarazaki Shodo
Beautiful description. So many lines to pick from but the image of sleeping beneath a sheet of newspaper from each day of her life… that is just brilliant!
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Oh! Lovely words, thank you. I am a bit of a sucker for those purple flowers decorating a balcony โค๏ธ
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You are kindly welcome and I am sure they are absolutely beautiful as is your writing ๐ โค
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You have made me smile, thank you.
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Am happy to hear that. You are welcome.
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๐โค๏ธ
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๐ โค
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Lovely! Our wisteria (on the back porch in the full morning sun) is just starting to wake up. Oh the fragrance! Now I will have this sweet poem to think of when we are sitting under itโs purple flowers ๐
โ…never apologized…flaws…or beauty…โ nailed it!
๐
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Oh! You have a wisteria on your porch โค๏ธโค๏ธ. Yes, it is good to not feel the need to apologize for who we are. Thank you for your kind words.
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under a sheet of newspaper, oh this one was brilliant and to me the backbone of this amazing piece of poetry…. it is a revelation of a soul seeking to be witnessed yet also deeply layered with words that tug at my heart and mind, what could be underneath that thin covering? there is also a transformation happening as the lines progress, from thinness to lushness. love being enveloped by your writing my dear
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If I manage to envelop you in writing, then I am very happy! From thinness, to lushness ๐, this was what I hoped to convey – that being true to your dreams, and facing up to /accepting yourself results in growth and fulfilment. I think lush is one of my favourite words, it seems to keep finding its way into my writing but I never seem to convince myself enough to remove it!
Thank you, my dear Gina, your words about my writing are part of what allows me to believe that pushing โpublishโ is an ok thing to do! xo
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i love that word lush too, it conveys a deep satisfaction somehow, and love how you use it here. some words are “our” words, it is part of our personality. never hesitate, it is all your talent and work, I am just one of your ardent readers!
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Thank you, Gina. So kind
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Aw…this was really moving. Feeling all over emotional today so you tugged a few heartstrings.
I love …(I should know what it’s called since I am an English teacher lol) the displacement of
beautiful objects performing unexpected tasks…the purple flowers becoming a paintbrush and the wearing of her daydreams. Just love that stuff.
Really enjoyed this, you have a lot of heart and compassion I feel
๐๐๐๐
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Oh, I hope the emotions that are within the overemotional are positive ones, my lovely.
You know, if I am honest, your poetry has made me think a lot, and this thinking was behind some of the content of this poem. Your writing about โhome,โ about being true to yourself… it really got to me. Thinking about what I actually want, I realise I donโt even really know, there are so many sliding doors moments where I never really โdecided,โ I just walked through the most convenient or safest door…
So, I really appreciate your comments, although, now I know you’re an English teacher (canโt say Iโm surprised though), I am a little scared.. ๐
Big hugs to you, I’m sorry/not sorry if this pulled on your heartstrings, it’s only fair since you pulled on mine xox
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Haha…yes you’re right, it is only fair.
Well, I am so happy that my post made you think, hon. It makes pouring out all that stuff worth it if it inspired you in any way to write something like this. I think a lot of us look to those ‘what if’ moments. If I’ve learned anything from life it’s that although we wish we could go back and change the course of things and decisions that we made, if you just think on those painful consequences of the choices we can’t unmake, you can see that every step and situation , as effed up as it may feel, all happened to take us towards something or someone or somewhere we are supposed to be. It’s that old clichรฉ of everything happens for a reason and it’s a clichรฉ because it’s so true.
Such awful shit we have all been through at some point or another, such painful lessons we learn and deep scars we carry, they all happened so we can reach our truth. I think anyway.
It keeps me going and gives me clarity when shitty things just seem to keep happening. They make no sense until you look at them as steps towards something else or as parts of your self puzzle you’re trying to piece together.
Oh god don’t even worry about the whole English teacher thing. I switch that part off when I read and write poetry.
I’m all smooshy emotions and much less logic and syntax lol.
Much cuddleation โกโกโก
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I really hope you are right!!! If all things happen for a reason, toward a goal we actually truly want, then that is so comforting. A self-puzzle to piece together, really, these lines should be within my poem. Thank you so much for your wise words, and the cuddleation. You have a big and full heart and I am so grateful for you to share a little piece of it with me in your words โค๏ธโค๏ธ
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R,
I really do believe it to be true because I’ve thought on it a lot and I’ve realised it IS true. You only have to open your eyes.
Oh…well I hope my heart is big and full of love, it’s the only thing that makes sense most days.
Your welcome. You’re very sweet and u appreciate you and our little chats
โกโกโก
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Likewise ๐ค๐ค๐ค
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Beautiful words and an equally beautiful image. It put me in a day dream, thank you ๐๐ธ๐ป๐บโจ
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Oh! Thank you. Too kind! Iโm glad to have put you in a daydream ๐
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I love the she dreamed of a house- purple flowers line! I really am happy to see poetry as beautiful as yours can be online.
As always, keep writing my friend.
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Your appreciation and encouragement means more than you probably know. Thank you, and you keep writing too my friend. I always enjoy your work.
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Just beautiful…
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You are so sweet to say this. Thank you.
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If I ever write a self portrait I would want it to be as beautiful as this…the flaws accentuating the beauty within. Splendid! โค๏ธโค๏ธ
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I just retrieved a couple of comments from you in my spam folder! Sneaky wordpress!! Especially as this particular comment holds words that I am so humbled and grateful to receive…. I would love to read a self-portrait by you, it would be amazing. Thank you so much my friend โบโฅโฅ
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Sneaky wordpress, indeed! ๐
So sweet of you…you are always welcome. ๐โค๏ธ
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Absolutely stunning work… it flows as if you dipped your pen in a rivulet, thoughts as smooth pebbles.
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Thank you, so much. If only I could dip my pen in a rivulet… that in itself would be poetic.
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It is a pleasure. Youโre very talented.
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Thanks again! I have a lot to learn!
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Youโre welcome. We all do… !
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This was gorgeous. Vivid imagery with words that tugged at the heart
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Thanks lonely author for this lovely comment. I really appreciate you stopping by to read this.
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Thanks lonely author for this lovely comment. I really appreciate you stopping by to read this.
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Breathtaking piece.
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Beautifully penned!
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Such kind praise. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.
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My pleasure!
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“She dreamed of a house
Where purple flowers of her hair became a paintbrush, and emerald leaves a palette of her desires.”
What a beautiful line. There are so many lines in this poem that are as beautiful individually as they are when put together in this composition !
This is a brilliant piece, carved out so wonderfully. I’m just in awe of this one ๐ โค
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Honestly, you have made my evening. Thank you for your kindness, it is so encouraging ๐ธ๐
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It indeed was a pleasure reading this, this is my favorite of all your poems that I have read yet, and I have a feeling I will be saying this very frequently ๐
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So lovely, its comments like these that encourage me to keep writing. Thanks again ๐ธโค๏ธ
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Loved the masterful imagery and painting with your words!! Bravo!!
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Awww, I am glowing with these kind words, thank you so much for your support.
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Thank you again, means a lot you would want to reblog my poetry! ๐
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Lovely!
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Oh!!! Thank you ๐
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I like your way of directing the traffic that reads (your poetry)โฆ.I felt nostalgia, once.
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this… is…. so….. dreamy….. . . . . .
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Oh hon!!! Iโm still covered with pollen and fantasies from your latest poem. Thank you, Iโm only to happy to make you dreamy, I can only imagine what delicious words you might conjure ๐
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