Hello, beautiful readers! I finally made it to the beach on Saturday. It's been hard to step away from the house because of the renovations. It was so nice to dig my feet into the sand, breathe in the salt air, and laugh with friends. There was over ten feet of seaweed on the shoreline, which wasn't pleasing. Luckily, some people created a path through it so we could still enjoy the water. We were able to find a patch of water with very little seaweed and stayed there for a bit. The temps are in the upper 90s, so it's very hot, and the water is warm. Still, every moment at the beach is a moment of enjoyment for me.
I haven't been as consistent in writing poetry as I used to be, but it hasn't been easy to think creatively with all that's happening. The bedrooms are finally done. I'm still putting things back in place, but we are getting closer to the end now. I miss writing poetry, and I'm hoping to write more this week. For today, I'm combining two prompts.
The first one is from dVerse- Poets Pub. Kim invites to write a prosery, a short piece of prose or flash fiction of up to 144 words (my piece has exactly 144 words, not including the title). In the prosery, we must include the following quote from Derek Walcott's poem, "Dark August". We can add punctuation, but the words must stay in this order without adding other words. I have bolded and italicized the phrase within my piece.
"I would have learnt to love black days like bright ones."
The second challenge is Melissa's Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #330. She shared the picture below and asked us to let it inspire us. I thought it would go perfectly with the above quote, so I combined the two. I decided to write a haibun for my prosery.
(image courtesy of @JeffHardi on Unsplash)
Beauty's Depth
For years, I suffered from low self-esteem and depression. No matter what people told me, I couldn't find light, laughter, or self-love. I'd like to think I would have learnt to love. Black days, like bright ones, can be alluring and special. But my eyes were blinded from the beauty surrounding me, stuck in a darkness that drowned any positive thought trying to rise from my mind's black hole. Luckily, I was loved unconditionally by many who stood with me and lent their supportive hands to pull me out of my quicksand captivity. When I finally learned to love myself, both flowers and flaws, the blindfold fell away and the beauty surrounding me, and within me, shone brightly. It was then I learned to love all days, even the dark ones.
thorn bush pricks draw blood
life's mishaps create worry
focus on the rose
“Luckily, I was loved unconditionally by many who stood with me and lent their supportive hands to pull me out of my quicksand captivity.”
ReplyDeleteThat is the important part. Then we may help others to get through the same kinds of things.❤️
Exactly, Melissa! I am always trying to help students know they are never alone and have support. Thanks for visiting! :-)
DeleteVery well done and a great lesson to be learned. Nice use of the prompt.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dwight! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteNice one!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blig
Much♡love
Thank you, Gillena! I appreciate your visit as well. :-)
DeleteI’m glad your renovations are nearly complete, Yvette, and that you’ll be able to get back to writing soon. It must have been a relief to spend time on the beach, too. I enjoyed your combo prosery-haibun, which resonated with me, also having suffered from low self-esteem and depression. You embedded the prompt line seamlessly – I had to look for it! The key to breaking through the darkness is being loved unconditionally – and focussing on the rose.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is, Kim, though it isn't always easy when depression has you in its grip. I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteGreat combination of prompts Yvette 🙌
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ange! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteYour triumph over low self-esteem and depression is inspiring, Yvette! A beautiful poem!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan! I appreciate your kind words. :-)
DeleteYour haibun is amazing ~ speaking our truth is incredibly liberating and you did it without flinching. The ending haiku is perfect. Thanks for leaving me a comment.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helen! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteYvette, your distilled wisdom at the end is my favorite part. Beautiful writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing. :-)
DeleteSo happy she was able to “feel” the love of those around her—sometimes that love doesn’t register as love when in a depressive state. Love how this ended. Two prompts. Wow. Love how you used the line Yvette. Seamlessly. Thanks. Xo, Selma
ReplyDeleteThank you, Selma! When depressed, self-love is lost in the darkness. In finding it, we start to see the light again. Thanks for sharing your kindness. :-)
DeleteI love the line break. A sage message indeed.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Violet! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteA powerful example of coming through the darkness of depression and low self-esteem, very moving and a wonderful approach to the prompt, especially the line split.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paul! I appreciate you stopping by. :-)
DeleteThe haiku encapsulates the essence of your poem. I like how you used the prompt line!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sunra! I appreciate your visit. :-)
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