An Exchange
One night you have me
Opening me up and swallowing my sorrows
And next, I have you
Giving into your need
To engulf me whole
And find me
Until the next nightfall
I’m brave enough to find you
Until The Next Nightfall
Grieving Sands
This is the concept art by Susanne Hundseder for my short story “Grieving Sands,” which is an uplifting grief fantasy. For those who do not know, an uplifting grief fantasy is a story with fantasy elements to help those grieving. For anyone needing such a story, click on the picture above to take you to a site set up nicely for this story. Also, feel free to share if you know anyone who is struggling. We have decided to start sharing short stories without putting them up behind a paywall, so it will be free for anyone to read.
This story started as a writing prompt with the word sandbox. If you read the story, you will understand how amazing the artist did in capturing the women and their mothers. Her skill and the passion she showed with this project blew me away.
I plan to start posting collaborated artwork and projects along with other surprises as time passes. We have a lot planned that I am excited to share! But if you want the precise timelines and management of those projects, inside scoops, book recommendations, bookstore shout-outs, author shout-outs, a free fun fantasy quiz, and more, sign up for my newsletter.
The link is below, along with another link to the short story.
See As I Do
Give me empathy
I beg you to
Please understand
Why I do what I do
I live in a circle
Tortured to no end
You hold me closely
Aren’t willing to bend
Please twist your mind
And see as I do
I need you to get me
As I work to get you
Getting Nowhere
The morning wakes her
The mirror whispers foe
Her unfulfilled dreams mark her a fool
Hesitant for life
She sways with no bite
She follows, only meant for the rules
Safety in comfort
No betting on hands
She will get nowhere in time
Lost to the masses
Unless she understands
Critical thinking may save her life
Reset
Nourish my brain
To dampen my sorrow
Make me forget regret
Drum out the pain
With logic to borrow
Reset all my upset
Grief, it takes me
Down its alley
No chance to move or to break
I need a moment
I need your minute
To wash away all my mistakes
Personal Lengths
As I wait
The seconds burn into me
Coiling blisters on my wrist from my watch
A personal fathom
Since it’s the one you gave to me
Before your goodbye marked me as naught
I’m Not Your Burden
Balance me on your heart
The way I’m to balance time in my life
But understand that there are moments to let me go
My mind may be slipping
The way old age takes to nipping
But my craziness isn’t your burden to hold
The Eclipse’s Bloom
There are enough flowers
That belong to the dusk, sun, and moon
But the flower of the eclipse
Lives on in gloom
Only spreading its petals
When everyone looks away
Distracted by the phenomenon
That breathes it awake
To Stare Up
Lonely, desperate, despaired
I stare up at you
Orphan to a forbidden cause
I look to the face of the moon
You are the only one to smile back
From the darkness in the sky
To the pits I was abandoned
Until you brought light to my life
Never leaving me lonely
Following me to where I need to be
Always up there smiling
You let my soul and self be free
Spiral
Too much, I crumble
Too little, I wither
Give me a moment
I swear I’m no quitter
I’ll break off my legs
Burn my soul to the ground
To make sure my day
Is completed, profound
Inside I’m dying
Perfection a curse
But giving I live for
A must or I burst
Got to be the best mother
Got to be the best friend
Got to be the best writer
Wife, lover, no end
Healthy, I doubt it
Goal achieving is key
Got to fill me up somehow
To make you believe
Believe in how wonderful
How achieving I am
How smart and how worth it
Yours till the end
Regaining Lost Aspects: Mind and Soul 