Healing through Vers Libre

The Shades of My Dream

8/21/2023

Our dreams have this tendency to follow us through our lives if we don’t embrace them. However, if we resist them too long, we may find ourselves bringing along memories of all those times things didn’t go as planned. It makes it harder to unfurl our wings and fly. These thoughts don’t necessarily affect the quality of our creativity, but they can make us more cautious than we might have been in our past.

The Shades of My Dream

I dreamed of writing, using words
to express the feelings of my heart.
I dreamed of weaving exciting tales
to carry people into other worlds.
Instead, I wrote words for others
to help express their hurt, their joy.
The words I wrote for myself
I hid away from the view of others.
Life kept winning out over my dreams.
Half a century slipped away before
I mustered the courage to write
my words, weave my tales, and
share my thoughts on many things.
Still, that old fear of failure lingers,
holding me back from taking chances.

©DWilliamsen

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Surviving the Darkness

8/7/2023

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Dark moments visit us all even those who would prefer not to admit it. Dark moments are not a sign of weakness. They are just an effect of stress or doubts about something in our lives or about a desire we have. We must recognize them as temporary and shift our focus rather than let them sabotage us.

Surviving the Darkness

Do you ever experience those days
when you can't stand living in your own head,
when your thoughts lead you round and round in a maze,
pulling your mind down to a place of dread?
What happens if you can't escape its hold?
Is your life destined to slide further yet?
Does it matter how strong you are? How bold,
or is this the price you owe, your debt?
Is it possible to shake yourself free,
to pull back the shades of darkness from you,
to find a light that will guide you safely
forward until you can see what to do?
It must be true. Others have traveled here
and survived the daunting pull of darkness.
I will be strong, steeling myself against fear,
and believing I can find happiness.

©DWilliamsen

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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.

The Shades of My Dream

Surviving the Darkness

Dannye Williamsen​A Diary in Verse

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Dannye Williamsen

A Diary in Verse