Healing through Vers Libre

People on Edge

6/26/2023

People on edge describes people everywhere these days. It is a vicious cycle that we must start addressing if we don't want to limit ourselves to the compelling choices by people on edge.

People on Edge

Choices by people on edge: explosion or implosion.

Explosion is a thunderous eruption
that carries all the anger from years past,
anger that provides fuel for the present.

Implosion is a silent withdrawal,
a quietness that is anything but calm,
an internal cyclone that refuses to breach
the walls of decorum to spoil the behavior
others consider to be in good taste.

People on edge are caught in a web,
a web that won’t turn them loose,
won’t free them from their emotional vise.
Other people are cautious lest they become caught
in the clutches of anger or despair themselves.

Unwittingly others feed the choices
for it is the dispassion of others, the silence
that traps those in pain so tightly
into an empty world with no place to turn.
Empty words from others can find no purchase.
They are consumed without notice.

Only listening. Trying to walk in their shoes.
Not judging. Offering to help if you can.
These things can tear down walls and
ease the tensions roused by emotional conflicts.
It can be hard. The edge was not achieved overnight.
It will, however, be worth it - for them and for YOU.

©DWilliamsen

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Hard Times Serve Us

6/12/2023

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Hard times are what most of us fight to avoid. Instead of fighting against them, we need to look at them differently, In other words, search for the gift they offer.

Hard Times Serve Us

Life can turn on a dime
and throw you out of sync
with your world, creating fear.
It’s part of life for all,
even if you feel safe
with your bases covered.
The universe chooses
these times to strengthen us.
Is it pleasant? Rarely,
but it can be if we
understand the reason.
To work through the hard times
offers nuggets of wisdom
to serve us in future
if we’re open to them.
This is the way we grow.
Is there a better way?
Not one as prevalent
in human history.
Tapping into your strengths
is key to stepping up,
which can shift the balance
and make hope your partner
as hard times slip away.

©DWilliamsen

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Cleaning Up the Muck

6/5/2023

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Our daily lives can often feel overwhelming. When they do, it’s easy to make excuses and take the easy way out. Unfortunately, the things we ignored, hoping they would take care of themselves, usually come back to haunt us.

CLEANING UP THE MUCK

Letting go of negative and destructive attitudes
is like trying to clean a metal pan
when the overcooked dish stuck to it.
Getting the muck off the bottom and sides isn’t hard.
It’s the corners and crevices that defy your attempts
to scrub them clean so you choose to leave them.
Eventually, more muck finds a home in the corners
until the only clean spot is right in the middle.
Our lives are like this.
We let go of the most obviously negative attitudes we have
but choose to ignore the more insidious ones
until we wake up one day to discover
they’ve attracted so many more destructive ideas
that it’s difficult to see the positive ones anymore.
Moral: Don’t take the easy way out.
Put in the work necessary to clear yourself
of all the muck in the corners of your life.

© Dannye Williamsen

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Dannye Williamsen

A Diary in Verse

Pablo Picasso said, “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” For me, free verse is like a diary. It serves you by allowing you to release your emotions by setting pen to paper. At times, it helps you clarify your thinking on a subject. Regardless of the motivation, it is an intimate exercise. As a writer, it takes courage to share them with others. The words lay you open to the world.

Life is a purifying process. It serves as our crucible – a place where we can experience the heat of change. Life is our source for opportunities to transform ourselves. For me, writing, particularly free verse, helps me transform my feelings about difficult situations by putting them down on paper. Oftentimes with those verses serving as release valves, I can feel myself changing as soon as I place the last period on the verse.

One thing all humans have in common are emotions. Emotions exist on a complex spectrum, and the spark leading to their expression can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. It can stem from experiences in the past or those in the here and now or even those on the world stage.

I chose to share these in hopes they would resonate with others. I hope some of them can serve you on your journey, if for no other reason than to know you’re not alone in how you are feeling.

People on Edge

Hard Times Serve Us

Cleaning Up the Muck

Dannye Williamsen​A Diary in Verse

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Dannye Williamsen

A Diary in Verse