Letting Go and Holding On - Features - 18/07/2012

This is a bittersweet set of features. Over night Redbubble has changed almost beyond recognition making it difficult to find anything, especially anything to do with writing. However, I was determined to feature both writing and art in this feature. Our group is important to us and the recent changes have meant it is harder than ever to maintain it, but it is worth it. So here we are still featuring your endeavours and supporting you through thick and thin. We’re not quite finished yet.

Sometimes it is time to let go of one dream and subscribe to another.

Finished with this dream by © Samantha Aplin


Often forgiveness is the only way we can really move on.

I Forgive You by © mermanda
I know what you did to me
I saw the lies
hidden in your eyes
the way you turned and walked away
when I told you I needed you to stay
as if its my fault
for your life’s lot
I cried when I told you
how bad you hurt me
my tears are in vain
so I sucked up the pain
and let the bitterness drown me
the trust I felt
the hurt you gained
stole the life force from me
drank up my pain
I should hate you
I have every right
but I keep remembering
what you told me that night
so I forgive you
and I set you free
I see what you used to be…

And at other times it means we have to find our anger, and self-preservation to let go of what was and join a new path.

Y E A H ? by © Nicolette Thain Photography


No matter what happens, there are some truths that are just truths and that we need to understand for ourselves most of all.

Smothered but not out… by © su2anne
“Truth be
Told!” she cried.
“Can’t be
Said…” he mumbled.
Hands clasped firmly
Over his
Ears… “I
Don’t want to
Hear!”
“But you
Must!” she
Pleaded…
Grim faced with
Thunder-clap eyes;
He turned about and
Walked away…
Her shoulders
Slumped… With
Chin to
Chest…
Resigned at first to
Let go of her
Honesty and
Integrity… then
Realization finally
Dawned…
Truth is
Truth no matter whether
Spoken
Heard or
Not…

And, occasionally, we need to bite the bullet and do that which we don’t want to do in order to reach our potential. I am seeing death here with it’s tarot meaning – change.

Bite The Bullet by © MoonlightLover


Time is a great healer they say and sometimes time is all we need to pick ourselves off the floor and understand where we fit in.

Time by © Sukhwinder Flora
The world is run by suits and ties
You know you cannot thrive
In the offices that frame you
That pay you
In places like this
There’s no higher purpose
There’s no me or you
There are numbers
And marching feet
There are instructions
And following orders
There are us and them
And boxes to tick
Deadlines to meet
Audits to complete
Applications to fill
There are the ones in charge
The ones below
The ones who are there
But don’t exist
Our complex form
Of survival perhaps
Things could be different
If empathy was a virus
Theres corporate crap
And rent to pay
A wage to receive
So there’s food to eat
And people to greet
There’s a mind to feed
And to keep sane
But no time to read
No time for games
There’s a heart to fix
A god to find
A soul to resurrect
With coffee at 8
Theres love to make
A family to create
Before the clock ticks away
Theres job to quit
Habits to break
A past to heal
A smile to fake
A friend to hug
There’s truth to see
And beauty to feel
There’s the chaos
Of all this and more
And a giving heart that’s crushed by concrete towers
There’s a rhyme to remember
A line to quote
There are hours to count
A time to dance
A time to sing
A time to play
Time with the ones we love
There are dreams to walk
And paths unpaved
There’s hope
No matter how small

Even if we are with our back to the wall there are still things to be grateful for. :-) (Who could deny these shoes are worth it?) LOL

Nowhere To Run Nowhere To Hide, But I Have My Shoes! by © Tamarra BaVincio


And sometimes we need to let go off the people we are, let go off the idea that we’re here to please others and please ourselves instead.

False Prophetess by © Jenifer DeBellis
Her filtered words flowed freely from her keys
like streams of water gracing ancient ground.
A practiced tease, she flattered in degrees
with sentimental syntax meant to please.
The fixed foundation that was built around
her filtered words flowed freely. From her keys
a silent song was cast into the breeze;
its voice grew wings that raised a charming sound.
A practiced tease, she flattered in degrees
by saying what she’d learned would most appease.
Through pet names she had fashioned or had found
her filtered words flowed freely from her keys.
With sharpened skills that fooled with cutting ease
her confidence became her battleground.
A practiced tease, she flattered in degrees
that brought a spellbound man down to his knees—
a place where bondage rules and hearts are bound.
Her filtered words flowed freely from her keys.
A practiced tease, she flattered in degrees.

And burn bright as bright as can be.

Fire dancer by © Karen01


Even if it makes us too hot to handle.

Too Hot To Handle! by © Writers-Block
Tears flow
From joy
Glowing abundance
Of nature
Spring of blossoming
Blooming petals
And the delicate-ness
Of her fragile hand
And like porcelain
Of her fair complexion
Radiant roux of her ruminant
Ruby red lips
Tangled strands of straight
Long ebony of nightingale locks
Dazzling sea green eyes
So hypnotizing
Yet, alluring
A femme’ fatale’
Rich in spirite
And…
Subsequently,
Too hot to handle!

The amazing thing about dreams is if we can dream it we can make it happen, somehow, somewhen, somewhere….

Beauty of Dreams by © RobynLee


And sometimes we need to make ourselves anew. The future is beckoning.

To make anew by © su2anne
Unsanctioned
I Laugh
I Breathe
I Am…
And in doing so I
Loosen what is too
Tight …
I bring my
Body back into
Myself…
The work can now
Begin. I
Dig around
The Discarded
The Remnants
The Midden that was
Me.
Thrown away
Without a thought
Of Care
Of Love…
One shard I
Hold up to the
Light of my
Soul… and
Together with self
Begin to
Reconstruct …
___

Enjoy and don’t forget to congratulate the artists and writers featured here. It could be you next time! :-)

Shadow Dreams - Features - 12/07/2012

Many of PPM’s features deal with dreams, and this is largely because the poetry and art that is submitted to our gallery demonstrates a continued curiosity and exploration of them. I almost hesitated to do another feature on dreams, but as I strolled our galleries, my fascination with the dream-filled courage, angst, determination, ambition, and angles of perception that were discernible won my undivided attention. I hope you, too, will enjoy this continued exploration when viewed from another unique perspective.

Dreams are hopes deferred. They are something that is often perceived as nothing more than a shadow reflection, an ungraspable, fluid form that shifts out of focus the moment you simply shift your weight from one foot to the other. But there is so much more to dreams than meets the (often impatient) eye. Dreams are often the fuel that moves everything forward in a day. They are motivational. The type of dreams that form an individual—mold her entire life’s journey—are more than little fantasies. They are deep-rooted ideas, desires, visions, promises of things to come. The shadow of a dream is the very thing that projects into the future, stepping before the individual. Separate the shadow from the dream and it cannot sustain itself. Waiting for dreams to become a reality can feel like torture, like they may never come to pass. And some do not reach full fruition; they die or step aside so others can become a potential reality. Regardless of where one sustains or another fades, fulfilling dreams enhances life experiences just as those that are not carried out do—each in their respective right. Yet, no matter how many dreams ripen into reality, there are always more hanging in the balances.

Some of PPM’s most inspiring art and poetry capture the essence of such dream realms and their psychological landscapes. This collection is a small example of some of the more recent submissions that evoke the emotional energies of dreams and this concept of deferred hopes.

-————————————————————————————————————

The kind of dreams that outline a lifetime are so much more than the ones plotted out in fairy tales, that’s for sure.

Fairy Tales Are Lies by © Sybille Sterk
out of sync and out of step
not just on a different page
but in a different book altogether
I skip and hop and drag myself
through day after purple day
waiting for raspberry sorbet
to paint my grey skies blue
with pretty fluffy clouds
but once upon a time
always precludes that one big lie,
happily ever after never happened
leaving me high and dry
with unanswerable questions
how will I find my way
through the deep dark wood
who will kiss me awake
when I sleep for a year?
the yellow brick road
is grey tarmac after all
guts and bravery
gets you through today
there may be a light
at the end of the tunnel
but it’s too far away
to even make out a horizon
because there’s a big black hole
that swallowed me
guts and garters and all
stuck behind the teeth of
I told you so and
I wish I’d known
how will I find my way
through the deep dark wood
who will kiss me awake
when I sleep for a year?
that’s not life and that’s not living
that’s just one day after yet another
someone
throw me a line
a few words will do
a light, a match, a candle
a song, a dance, a laugh
a smile just for me
to know that
just maybe
there’s a happy end
even
to a bad beginning.

For the moments your dreams appear to be playing out in someone else’s reality.

My song by © dmcart


Strange hands
are trying to play my song…
…dead hands…
with the color of death
the smell of death
the sound of death…
It is my song!
Do not touch it…
I will play it
bad or not…
I want to know
how it sounds
by myself…
DMC

For the moments you feel as invisible as those deferred dreams…

You never even knew I was there by © strawberries



There will be moments dreams will feel invisible, non-existent. Perhaps they need to be twisted in the light so they can be seen in renewed ways.

Pas Seul by © RC deWinter
The spotlight is harsh sunshine on my skin
as I stand, encased in satin, silk and tulle.
My shoes, well-rosined, laced around my ankles,
glisten with the burgundy beauty of blood.
My hair, wrapped sleekly round my skull,
adorned with rubies the shade of pigeon’s blood,
shines like a sterling silver helmet.
I bend, all submissive grace, to an invisible partner,
and, standing,
parting lips glacéed with the blood of cherries,
raise my arms and cry to heaven,
“I’m here! You called; I came. You promised. Where is he?”
No answer comes.
So, sur les pointes, arms crossed to keep my balance,
spinning round and round and round,
my eyes bleed tears as I survey the blackness
beyond the spotlight.
And, although your presence permeates
the silence of the shadows
I see nothing.
But you, cat’s eyes hidden ‘neath a mask, can see me,
I know,
as I dance, alone, for you.

Sometimes, in order to even understand the root of your dreams, you must learn to connect with the inner voice—the one infused with heritage and the wisdom of your ancestors.


Tribal voice by © Tatjana Ulbutova


There’s a time for everything, which includes a time to walk away from the illusion of a dream.

Time by © Sukhwinder Flora
The world is run by suits and ties
You know you cannot thrive
In the offices that frame you
That pay you
In places like this
There’s no higher purpose
There’s no me or you
There are numbers
And marching feet
There are instructions
And following orders
There are us and them
And boxes to tick
Deadlines to meet
Audits to complete
Applications to fill
There are the ones in charge
The ones below
The ones who are there
But don’t exist
Our complex form
Of survival perhaps
Things could be different
If empathy was a virus
There’s corporate crap
And rent to pay
A wage to receive
So there’s food to eat
And people to greet
There’s a mind to feed
And to keep sane
But no time to read
No time for games
There’s a heart to fix
A god to find
A soul to resurrect
With coffee at 8
There’s love to make
A family to create
Before the clock ticks away
There’s job to quit
Habits to break
A past to heal
A smile to fake
A friend to hug
There’s truth to see
And beauty to feel
There’s the chaos
Of all this and more
And a giving heart that’s crushed by concrete towers
There’s a rhyme to remember
A line to quote
There are hours to count
A time to dance
A time to sing
A time to play
Time with the ones we love
There are dreams to walk
And paths unpaved
There’s hope
No matter how small

Your individual dreams—from their first budding ’til their moment of full bloom—will sometimes draw you into isolation.

Lonely Game by © Janice Zroback



There will come a time when a shift in dream perspective is inevitable.

The challenge of sentience by © su2anne
The
Birthing of
Change is
Labour… It is
Hard … It is
Arduous and
Challenging… but
Without this
Discomfort it
Would be too
Easy for
Status quo to
Remain… Neither
Going forward or
Returning… the
Constancy of
Change is the
Evolution of
Self… It is the
Gift bestowed… it is
Self-awareness… It
Must not be
Squandered through
Fear or
Neglect… So
When you’re at your
Wits end
Drowning in the
Depths of
Despair
I beseech you to have an
“A ha moment;” For the
Surface is just above.
Resolve to have a
Last push and you will
Arrive to
Where you
Need to be…

The silence that exists at the core of the waiting game can feel suffocating.

I Weave a Silence by © Glitterfest



Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. ~Bible Proverb

Rondeau by © Sandra
With not a sigh a tear or care
In gentle arms of midnight dare
Where dreams of wildest breeze elope
Roams twilight’s bless of softly hope
Toward an acquiesce of share
Warm snuggle now in cashmere bare
Suggestive of their sweet affair
A passion dance of thrill devote
With not a sigh
Tho drawn a more attentive pair
His smoulder deep, her raven hair
A love explored of wordly cope
For love there is no antidote
In mingle destiny’s somewhere
With not a sigh

Sometimes, more than anything else, simply believing in a dream is the largest challenge.

I can do it by © Maree Carndinale



The reward for patience, for the determination to see things through, for the courage to keep at it no matter how hopeless things may appear? Only the fullness of time can tell.

In the Fullness of Time by © Kanchan Mahon

I Am...- Features - 03/07/2012

Inspired by Angela’s hauntingly beautiful image ‘I Am,’ the features this week are a celebration of the beauty and complexity within. As women we are nervous about sharing our successes, often unwilling to acknowledge our beauty and place our own needs second to those around us. Today we are going to enjoy all those exciting and different parts of ourselves and take pleasure in doing so.
My personality consists of many wonderful end exciting aspects…

I am…. © by Angela King-Jones


I am a madonna with a hint of mystery…

Madonna of the tree © by Catrin Welz-Stein


I fly free and bring light and joy to others…

This is Cloud Nine © by Sybille Sterk


I enjoy the miracle of bringing life into the world…

BumpScan © by KaapstadMeisie


I am deeply creative…

Magnetic in Melancholy © by Melanie Collette


I see my beautiful inner self as I grow older…

Among The Folds of Time © by Rhenastarr


I enjoy being a vamp, full of allure…

V A M P © by Nicolette Thain Photography


I put a stop to self criticism and start to enjoy being who I am…

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST © by Tammera


I recognise it is OK to feel overwhelmed at times, but know that I will resurface…

Drowned Butterfly © by annacuypers


I will survive…

Desdemona, I do © by Jaeda DeWalt


I am soulful and free thinking…

Another ink and ivory storm © by Sorina Williams


I see beauty all around me…

If You Look Carefully, You Will Still See Beauty In A Dying Rose © by CarolM


Congratulations to you all.

A Celebration of Dreams and New Adventures - Features - 27/06/2012

Sometimes our dreams have to wait a long time because we nurture everyone else’s dreams before our own, which makes it so much harder to get there, however, today I’d like to celebrate Jen’s dream and the fact that she’s just finished her last undergraduate final exam, which is such a huge achievement. :-) Congratulations Jen!

It’s so fabulous to see someone stick with it, no matter how hard it is and how difficult and do what they’ve set out to do, especially when they’re running a business and a household and looking after the kids on top of it all.

I think, what I am trying to say is, that it’s all worthwhile and so fabulous to set off on a new adventure and to see it through. Our dreams are so important and even if we may not always achieve the whole dream or sometimes not even a little bit of it, it’s still worth it to try and believe.
Here is the dream, all golden and delicious, beckoning us onwards.

dream by © Jeannie Peters


Sometimes it means rising like the Phoenix from the ashes.

Phoniex Rising by © Heather King

Check out Drkgrrl’s plea to help raise funds for Heather to get treatment, here Even if you cannot help financially, maybe you can post this on your facebook or twitter pages to help spread the word.

But there is nothing so glorious as setting out on a new adventure and to realise a dream.

SUMMER SOLSTICE 2012 GODDESS by © eoconnor


It is indeed one very magic moment, that very first step on the way to achieve our dream.

That Magic Moment by © laruecherie


And so very often it means that there is no one to make us do it, we have to do it ourselves. We have to believe.

I CREATED MY OWN WINGS by © Barbara Cannon Art Studio


Although it’s nice to get support and the odd hug when the going gets tough.

the hug by © Michele Meister


However, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for.

You Were Only Waiting For This Moment To Be Free by © Tamarra BaVincio


And we’re finished with the baby steps and one step forward and two steps back. We’re running.

Run Free by © AngieBanta


It’s time to leave the guilt and the worries over failed attmpts behind and to move on towards our dreams.

Mea Culpa by © Leila A. Fortier


Which doesn’t mean completely letting go of who we were but taking with us the good and the strong and that which made us who we are.

Remember Me by © Catrin Welz-Stein


However, even with all the strength in the world and all the hope we don’t always get where we want and sometimes all that is left is the memory of the dream we once had.

The memory of a dream by © strawberries


And sometimes this failed dream echoes through our life and makes it harder to begin again, but it is good to remember that it is only another obstacle to overcome.

echo. by © Jessica Islam Lia


Please join me in congratulating all the artists and Jen on her achievement. Let’s celebrate our successes together and feel free to tell us about yours in the comments below. As the saying goes, Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased—thus do we refute entropy.

Fibers of Feminist Thinking - Midweek Features - 20/06/2012

This week’s feature collection has been inspired by the fibers that make up feminist thinking and motivations. For these very fibers are what weave women together, so that regardless of where each one may be individually, she is still connected to the larger fabric of the sisterhood. Thoughts are important to consider, as behind each one resides life’s motivations. And no matter what one person’s views of feminism are compared to another individual’s, one thing is certain: the scope of feminism as a quest for female equality is as broad as it is individual. To negate where one woman may be on her journey is to paint an incomplete picture. My hope in assembling this week’s collection is to ignite a curiosity to find the fibers (large and small, or fragmented and disjointed) in a diversity of feminist reflection.

For every way of thinking, there is a seasonal landscape that controls the climate.

Stages by © Anthea Slade


For every injustice, area of neglect, place for activism, there is an opportunity to rise up against inequality.

Not Today by © RC deWinter
Don’t whine to me about your petty woes,
the car that doesn’t start, the faucet’s incurable drip,
I can’t be bothered with it now!
Yes, another day I would tsk-tsk
and share your righteous bourgeois indignation,
muttering discontent about politics,
the evils of dependence on fossil-fueled transport,
the perfidy of plumbers whose every remedy is unavailing
in the war of water versus washer – but not today!
Today I weep for people; I cry for half the world:
innocent victims of every color, every god,
caught in the crossfire of the few, the proud, the greedy,
who peddle their cheap philosophies for sale to the highest bidder.
So sick am I of pissing matches in the sand,
a new line drawn every week, every month.
Every time it seems that hope might bloom
in some far-flung oasis of sanity
a fresh new hell gapes wide, to swallow whole the cries of those
who clamor for a peaceful life – no more, no less.
Tell me tomorrow about your wretched in-laws
who every Christmas buy you Scotch when you drink gin,
the scheming paperboy who tosses today’s bad news into
the rainsoaked bushes rather than upon your columned porch,
and curse I will with you the inconvenient idiocy
surrounding our benighted daily lives.
But not today –
today I weep, today I mourn, today I spend in sorrow
for the little people – all of us – yes! you and me –
whose fate is fodder for the few.

Behind every blooming idea is the sower, with seeds in hand.

Some ideas grow on trees and some sprout like a pair of shoes by © Fiery Fire


Never underestimate the view from the top of the ladder.

View from the Balcony by © Vesna D
It’s a stairway to heaven
Seeing eye to eye with the top of the cherry tree
The only way is up
Supported by the pillars of the Earth
Propelled by the desire to fly
Seduced by the openness of the sky
Let your mind soak
In the beauty of epiphany
Drink it
Own it
It’s yours now
A simple view from the balcony

No one can guarantee there will be a path of simplicity, but the pleasure to be found may make the struggle pale in comparison.

Struggle for pleasure by © annauypers


Sometimes silence is NOT golden.

Plague and Pestilence by © msdebbie
Everything dies
Verity is silenced
Even beside loneliness
Reality is a labyrinth
You seek the word for wishful
Torment is truth
History whimpers
It ignores the future
Nothing is illuminated
Going going gone
Despair strides the streets
Illusion is complete
Everyone denied
Silenced the world sighs

As the last auras of this season’s fairytales fade, one must begin to see the world anew.

the last fairytale by © strawberries


And if hope is all that finds you on a given day, go ahead and embrace it, even nurture it a little while the opportunity is present.

Thoughts on a Theme of Blue by © Rhenastarr
Today I woke up happy
A spring of hope running over
Today no tears of frustration
To cloud my eyes
There is nothing specific
Nothing I can put my finger on
Just a tiny little whisper
Filling my heart with song
A sky of white puffy clouds
Amid a sea of blue
Peak through my window
And spirits that were down
Are once again soaring
I feel free and open today
A brand new page in
The never ending saga
That is me
Old hurts, remain sore spots
May find some new ones today
Purple shadows left by well
Intentioned people
Who could not curb their tongue
If their tomorrow depended on it
Yesterday when the rain deluged
Me with doubts and fears
Has passed into a day of
Bright beginnings
I have always felt stand alone
My own shyness and insecurities
Perhaps helped along with
A generous nudge from the
Unkindness of others
But today I will not think of them
I will hold my head high
Today I will be strong, will only
Think of those that love me
Pain and loneliness can keep
Themselves otherwise
Occupied
Today my emotions are riding
High, galloping toward a love
Of self and to hell with those
That fail to see the real me
Today I give thanks to God
I am not blind,nor lame, nor deaf
I can see his goodness
I can walk secure in his love
And I can hear the music of life
Spilling all around me
I am thankful for the love of
My life
My children
My family
My friends
It is them I turn to on the deeply
Wounding days of blue
I will relish the days of light along
Side the days of dark
Light and dark co-exist
I will strive to always bring the light
The world outside makes it hard
To maintain that well of happiness
It offers up
Insanity
Hate
Corruption
Cruelty
Greed
Apathy
Racism
And defeatist attitudes
Along with love, kindness, joy, goodness
And strength of purpose
I have decided to just journey through my
Life
Sifting out the good from the bad
And persevering with God’s hand in mine
Sadness and Happiness are Kin
They touch each of our lives
We can only live with the hope that
There will be more happiness than
Sadness that journeys with us

Relish in the moments when life presents you the perfect fitting key.

The perfect key by © Catrin Welz-Stein


And while you’re at it, release the locks that bind and shake free from whatever captivity is holding you back.

just right by © Sybille Sterk
you know it’s right
when you feel
that little click
on the final notch
when the tumblers
all fall down
at the twist of the wrist
with unfamiliar lock picks
and when the doors
open to forever summer
and your heart takes a
deep breath and releases
the shackles that held it fast
and the long forgotten wings
rustle dryly and flutter shyly
but the memory hasn’t been lost
of how to use them
it’s like riding a bike
and
all you ever wanted
so you breathe it in to
make it last like a sip
of water in the desert
and you hope that
this is it
no more nasty surprises
just sunshine and blue skies
even if you know it never
happens that way
it’ll help you through
the first hurdle of
not again
no can do
too much
so you cross your fingers
and you hope that
just for once
right
really is
right.

Take the time to reconnect with yourself, with nature, and with those who paved the way before you.

Silent Meeting at the Summit by © ArtPearl


For, so often, it’s the clarity of (renewed) vision that acts as the best guide.

Internal machinations by © su2anne
Honesty and
Integrity born of
Self-reflection requires
Visceral courage to
Flay open that which for
Sometime has been
Covered up by
Scar tissue or a
Band aid. To
Agonize through the
Mire. To
Pick clean the
Bones creates
Order from
Chaos and the
Possibility that this
Internal sight will give
Clarity to
Move forward and the
Hope to rebuild.

Manifestations - Features - 13/06/2012

Manifestations of Abuse
This is an unusual collection of art for this weeks features. Normally, I would chose a mix of poetry and art, and always try and build the features to a positive finale. However, over the past couple of weeks, so much of the art being submitted here has been addressing the issue of abuse. The images are so visually and emotionally powerful that I wanted to show them collectively. Many of these images have moved me to tears.
One in four women have, as children, or as adults suffered abuse within the home. Often they feel shamed and guilty, and so feel unable to speak out. Their support systems have been taken away and they feel isolated and alone. There are many reasons why they feel they cannot leave, not least of all because of their fear.
Whilst all the artists here may not be speaking from their own experience, they depict the many faces of abuse with skill and empathy. Here we also see art used as a therapeutic tool, our artists finding deep wells of creativity within. They depict stories of sadness and pain, isolation and shame, doubt and uncertainty. Most of all, we see the strength of their inner selves, their stories of survival and their indomitable courage in speaking out and sharing.
They are challenging us to see what often we chose to ignore. They are telling us that abuse, in any form, has to stop.
I am not making comments on the individual images as each of the wonderful and moving images speak for themselves.

---

Physical Manifestations – Self Portrait © by Jaeda DeWalt


PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS © by Jaeda DeWalt
I lie to myself
My feet burrowing deep into the sands of denial
But my body reveals the truth
The physical manifestations are clear
The past is resurfacing
With it the fear
Waves of anxiety washing over me
As my appetite ebbs and weaves
Confusion
Fragmented thoughts
Disassociation
Self temporarily lost
Poem © Jaeda DeWalt

Hidden from reality… © by leapdaybride


fractured © by LisaMM


Emotionally Numb – Self Portrait © by Jaeda DeWalt


L O S T © by jacqleen


Damage © by Glitterfest


She Smokes and Drinks and Don't Come Home At All © by DionNelson


torn © by LisaMM


The painter's model in front of the mirror © by Ina Mar


Tomorrow Never Comes © by Heather King


No Easy Decisions © by Laurie Search


Soul Destroying… © by Carol Knudsen


“Domestic violence whether verbal, emotional or physical is wrong …
It is paralyzing for the victim….it can make you feel mute and unable to ask for help, blinded into believing it’s your fault….
It’s soul destroying and damaging not only to you but those innocent ones around you too…
Nobody deserves to suffer violence of any kind especially at the hands of someone they love or who is supposed to love them….
If you are in this situation know that you are valued and precious and deserve to be treated as such….find the strength to break the silence…to be heard, to be free, to be loved as you should…
I know because I was there once a long time ago …and I found that strength and I am so happy I did….I am no longer mute or blinded … I am free and being loved and valued as a woman should be…..♥” Carol Knudsen

If you or a friend need help …..
UK: Contact the freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline  0808 2000 247         0808 2000 247   
USA: National Domestic Violence Hotline (7233)
AUS: Respect; Domestic Violence Counselling Service Phone- 1800 737 732

There are groups, services and networks in most countries. Simply Google ‘Domestic
Violence’ and you will find them.