Healing through Vers Libre

The Past Doesn't Own Us

9/18/2023

It is so easy to let the past rule our thinking, our attitudes; in other words, the past can determine our present. Being aware of our past is not the same as allowing it to color every decisions we make, to fuel old hurts. Knowing the content of our past and recognizing the paths we chose and why is important because it aids us in avoiding those which did not serve us. If we don’t, we cannot live in the present or plan our best lives for the future.

The Past Doesn’t Own Us

We often take our daily lives for granted
when things seem to be as they should.
Our routines take over. Our priorities shift.
Worries, big and small, sometimes cause rifts,
binding us together in the worst way,
insidiously eroding the beauty in our lives.
Life shifts. Be it death, divorce, or betrayal,
it makes no difference. The past is gone.
The only answer: wake up to what's important.
Listen to those around us when they speak.
Always give them the benefit of the doubt.
We didn't orchestrate our pasts on purpose,
but we can change our present and future.

©Dannye Williamsen

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The Last Act

9/4/2023

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Losing someone who’s been there for such a huge part of your lifetime is a shock. The grief is coupled with the hardship of learning a new way of life, and it brings up so many questions about the nature of your life going forward.

The Last Act

When you’ve lost someone who’s traveled with you through life,
bore witness to all the many changes that have occurred,
not just changes in your body, but in your very being,
and cherished each and every one of them as precious,
is it possible to find another who can see beyond the scars of life?

You have all these memories that stretch out over years,
memories that hold tales of the paths you took,
of the mistakes and the triumphs you shared
with another who changed alongside you.
Can someone new step into the void that now exists?

Never having to explain the life you’ve had to someone
because they weren’t there, yes, but also to reveal
why all your dreams are still a part of you,
still aching to become a reality, despite your years.
Can another step onto a moving train this late in life?

You’re not an ingénue any longer with a nearly blank slate.
You’ve succeeded. You’ve failed. You’ve dreamed.
You’ve loved another in a way you never expected.
You’ve grieved, feeling your life lose its balance.
Do you even want to step into another person’s world?

Que sera, sera – whatever will be, will be – is the best mantra.
You cannot know what life has in store for you.
Being closed off to change will deny you of gifts
you perhaps never imagined possible in your life.
After all, you are a different person at this point in life.

Perhaps it isn’t a void at all, but a new beginning for you.
You may not find another love, but you may discover
someone whose journey harmonizes with your own,
someone who cherishes the person in front of them.
It’s possible Act 3 of your life could truly be a new adventure.

No matter what path your life takes in the final years of life,
live it with an open heart and an open mind.
Don’t be fearful or intractable. Step into the unknown.
You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.
Take a deep breath, smile, and dive into life anew.

©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 Past Doesn't Own Us

The Last Act

Dannye Williamsen​A Diary in Verse

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Dannye Williamsen

A Diary in Verse