"Blue Bird" is this week's featured photograph on vtdigger.org, up now in their Life & Culture section. Everyone can check it out now, here! vtdigger.org/life-culture
"Winter Coming" is this week's featured poem on vtdigger.org, up now in their Life & Culture section. Everyone can check it out now, here! vtdigger.org/life-culture
Although the tone of this piece is dark, with a decidedly bleak ending, I always appreciate poetry and prose written from the perspective of someone at a particular breaking point or crossroads. Sometimes things do get worse before they get better, and (but) sometimes, too, shame and/or resignation can be powerful forms of inspiration. I felt the misery of your character as I read (especially having family members who've dealt with alcohol dependency), and in turn, internally commiserated.
I love the idea of this encounter between these characters, both the speaker and the subject: one, so ready and willing to listen and probe and crack the nut, break the harder exterior of humor their friend employs, and the other on the other side, someone who's probably waited a long time to be asked, "But are you really okay? How are you sleeping?" It's a tender image.
I've never read a text message that came with an association to a scent or a particularly vivid mental picture before, like this. But there IS so much subtext (ha) within our words, so often, and that extends to text messages. That this brought up such emotion and conjured up memories and led to your own translation of the message speaks to the beauty of language, even within our (often) impersonal, modern forms of communication.
A person could not read this powerful piece without looking inward and questioning their own values and presumptions. I am so sorry you've experienced such hate and anger. The forgiveness and wisdom you show in this piece triumph over all of that. Keep writing. Your message is important and needs to be heard.
thank youu!! it's my favorite thing i've written :)
"Blue Bird" is this week's featured photograph on vtdigger.org, up now in their Life & Culture section. Everyone can check it out now, here! vtdigger.org/life-culture
"Winter Coming" is this week's featured poem on vtdigger.org, up now in their Life & Culture section. Everyone can check it out now, here! vtdigger.org/life-culture
I laughed out loud! The colors in this piece are spectacular, but what I'm really drawn to is her expression -- pure (dazed) joy!
Although the tone of this piece is dark, with a decidedly bleak ending, I always appreciate poetry and prose written from the perspective of someone at a particular breaking point or crossroads. Sometimes things do get worse before they get better, and (but) sometimes, too, shame and/or resignation can be powerful forms of inspiration. I felt the misery of your character as I read (especially having family members who've dealt with alcohol dependency), and in turn, internally commiserated.
I love the idea of this encounter between these characters, both the speaker and the subject: one, so ready and willing to listen and probe and crack the nut, break the harder exterior of humor their friend employs, and the other on the other side, someone who's probably waited a long time to be asked, "But are you really okay? How are you sleeping?" It's a tender image.
I've never read a text message that came with an association to a scent or a particularly vivid mental picture before, like this. But there IS so much subtext (ha) within our words, so often, and that extends to text messages. That this brought up such emotion and conjured up memories and led to your own translation of the message speaks to the beauty of language, even within our (often) impersonal, modern forms of communication.
This is heart-wrenchingly good poetry! :)
A person could not read this powerful piece without looking inward and questioning their own values and presumptions. I am so sorry you've experienced such hate and anger. The forgiveness and wisdom you show in this piece triumph over all of that. Keep writing. Your message is important and needs to be heard.
it's still such a good idea, thank youu!!!! :)