Saturday, May 30, 2020

Ink (and Stitch) Lived Horrors into Armor

This world is a terror storm
with sweetness and beauty
at its heart. Lived and embraced
(and fought) terror can be turned
into words that grow wings.

Melancholy isn’t always bad,
in ink—
it’s safe practice for living.

I believe I can.
So, I will
ink, ink
ink (and stitch) horrors
into armor.



 for Poets and Storytellers United (Writers’ Pantry #22: Onward, June)

43 comments:

  1. Ha, I've just been reading some witchy books drawing the connection between words – particularly poetic words – and magic. And here you go, showing us how we can change our reality on purpose with our words! *Grin.*

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    1. Don't you just love it when that happens? Great minds and all that, I guess...

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  2. It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to turn horrors to armour and keep fighting the good fight. Bravo!

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  3. Pretty dark but I love the blending of media.

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  4. The most important thing is to have faith in yourself. You are such a great example of this Magaly.

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    1. Believing in oneself is, indeed, a superpower!

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  5. You have such a talent for inking and stitching beautiful armour out of horror, Magaly! I wish that more people would turn terror into words that grow wings – the world would be a better place, melancholy or not.

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  6. Loved the use of words and image - and an important message, too.

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  7. This is absolutely stunning, Magaly!❤️ This poem speaks to me about writing words that birth hope and hopefully dispel gloom.

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    1. Thank you, Sanaa. I so believe that--words have all the brightening power we give them... and we shall give them a lot of bright!

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  8. There is something in this that makes me believe--these words feel like spells or prayers and they invoke awe.

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    1. The best spells and prayers are chanted words with a bit (or a lot) of living in them.

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  9. I concur that the world is a terror storm. But I disagree that sweetness and beauty are at its heart. At most, they are dustings of gilt on a few surfaces. Yes, I'm gloomy today.

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    1. Today, a friend sent me an image of a police officer joining the protesters he was supposed to be policing (or beating to death, if he were anything like some of his colleagues) and taking a knee for peace and justice. There aren't many cases like that one. The usual, what we see everyday, what makes me want to scream and kick... is the completely opposite. The world is full of abuse and fear, but every now and again--deep, deep, deep in the heart of who and what we are--someone stands (or takes a knew) in the face of the horrors, and says, "Enough! We must fight this together." That, to me, is the sweetness and beauty (and the hope) in the heart of all the clearly bad.

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    2. P.S. These days, only brainless and heartless people would go through life without having a gloomy day or 3. You, my friend, are neither of those two. There is too much ugly out there... for any soul to go untouched.

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  10. that's true. us writers and poets can change the bad into something good with our pens (or computers, lol) thanks for sharing with us Magaly.

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    1. I've decided to make my keyboard an honorary pen. 😁

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  11. To create armour out of the darkness knowing that within the heart is kept safe. Would it were that we could stitch us all together and find the sweetness and beauty within each other. May your ink never run dry.

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    1. Right back at you. May our will keep our pen going.

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  12. I like the way it says "in" "kin" and how words can stitch. A spell with words.

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  13. I am very moved by this...sitting in the middle of melancholy believing in (and waiting for) the moment when that power to transform horrors will bubble up.

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    1. I hope the waiting time is nearly over. And that the respite that comes after is lasting... and more breath-giving than any of us can imagine.

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  14. So much strength (and hope) in your poem .... cheers!

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  15. Your first line is an accurate summation of the world today... I applaud your armour of ink.

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  16. Looking for the beauty in things is an act of resistance, and one we owe to ourselves to keep hold of our mental well-being (I know I have been struggling too). Thank you for the reminder.

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    1. I think that anyone who isn't struggling with this at the moment is either mad or dead or worse--unfeeling. There is just so much to deal with...

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  17. Ah yes the poet hold magic in his pen.Luv that you choose to morph love into reality. Habe a good week Magaly

    Much✏love

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    1. I think that the bit I love most about this magic is that anyone can access it. Perhaps, not in the same way or with the same ease, but... anyone can speak their words into ink.

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  18. Wonderful! Strong words that penetrate through the layers of avoidance and denial. I love the way that you pinned the very compelling art pieces against your words … holding your words. That - in itself - gave pause to a depth of interpretation. A very experiential post, Magaly.

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  19. Well done. Finding art in both words and your visual expressions. A chance to hold your words in your hands and not just spilling with ink.

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  20. Writing about melancholy as a practise for living would work. So would writing about joy or hope or...you name it! :)

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  21. I hope we can...sooner than later...all swim through that terror storm and find that beautiful heart that awaits our arrival for I know it's there, for all of us if we just put aside selfish hate and look for it. This planet can be a warm, loving place but we have to make it so. I have faith. Its the only hope I have.

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    1. Indeed, this planet can be anything we can make it. I, too, hope that we, as a species, start understanding the value of making our home a better place. I hope, I hope, I hope...

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