Tag Life

On the Edge – dVerse Open Link Week 114

freyathewriter 20 Comments

Here’s my latest entry into the dVerse Open Link – why not take a look at everyone else’s responses?

This piece is in honour of everyone who is striving for balance in their creative and ‘other’ lives. This year for me has been… horrible, and so my creativity has helped me manage all the incessant thoughts racing around in my head. Next year, let it be better…

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– On the Edge –

I watched you breathe your last
In that hospital room
With its hospital smells
And the pneumatic mattress
Which continued to sigh
Long after you  –
went

I know that nurses continued to laugh
In the long hallway
With the squeaking floor
But silence settled
In those empty moments
Right after you –
left

I write about you, over and over
In this year of my life
With my heart, broken wide
Creativity rescue me
Help me live,
Now that you are –
gone.

Essence – Trifecta Week 95

freyathewriter 33 Comments

Below is my offering for Trifecta’s week 95 challenge word, which is ‘rainbow’. As you will see from the Trifecta blog post, the challenge is to write between 33 and 333 words of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose, based on the 3rd definition from the Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary. This week the 3rd definition of ‘rainbow’ is:

[from the impossibility of reaching the rainbow, at whose foot a pot of gold is said to be buried] : an illusory goal or hope

I hope you enjoy my offering – please check here for the other entries!

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– Essence –

“What do you want from life?”

The man replied, almost before the question had finished reverberating around the empty room.

“I just want to be happy! That’s all!”

Silence settled, coating the walls, the floor and the man himself with an almost palpable disapproval.

“Hello? Did you hear me? I said -”

“I heard.”

“So?”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Look, I thought you were omnipotent, omniscient, all that crap. So, just sort it out, won’t you? The rest of my life is waiting!”

The Voice sighed. Every time…

“If that is what you wish – and I repeat that you said ‘I just want to be happy’ – then it can be arranged. But if your only experience is happiness, you will be forever denied the richness of life. Do you understand me?”

The man held up his hand, as if to stop The Voice in its tracks. The man’s ears were deaf to all explanations. His mind had been made up long ago.

“I know what I want. Deliver it.”

The final words sealed his fate. The door opened and the man ran from the room, eager to meet his destiny.

The Voice remained silent. There was nothing to say. Removing all causes of negativity from the man’s life would render him happy, but not for long. Once he arrived home to a house with no wife and children to welcome him, a phone with no parents or friends to receive his call… well, his choice had been made.

The Voice knew. Each thing that brings us happiness also brings us pain. Equally, remove all sources of pain and our happiness soon evaporates.

Such is the way of the world.

Such a shame that once the man had made his decision, there was no turning back. He had embarked on a fool’s errand.

The Voice wondered if he himself would ever stop searching for the wise man, his own personal rainbow.

Perhaps The Heart would know.

*****

Trifecta

Warning Unheeded – dVerse Poetics

freyathewriter 26 Comments

I’m getting into this dVerse thing, big time! Thank you to everyone there for the warm welcome 🙂

So, here’s my submission to the dVerse Poetics prompt – this week, we are asked to write something inspired by a time-worn phrase or saying, whether it is something from the TV, the radio, a song, an old catchphrase that we or friends, family or colleagues use – inspiration can be found anywhere.

This week, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ has been floating around in my head. I could probably explain why, but perhaps that’s not relevant.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my piece below – please do visit the linky link thing to read many more!

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– Warning Unheeded –

‘Be careful, be careful’

the old woman said,

my youth it knew better

and I shook my head.

 

‘You’re old and you’re feeble’

I stated with scorn,

and tossed barbed-wire glances –

her face fell, forlorn.

 

I wanted the top job,

accolades in all spheres,

‘All hail the big chief’

to ring in my ears.

 

I did achieve fame,

yes, fortune was mine,

but something was missing

no love to entwine

 

in the twists and the turns

of my life, well-endowed

no face to light up

for my own, in a crowd.

 

Be careful, be careful

I’m an old woman now,

in my youth I was wrong –

it’s too late for me now.