Butterfly Tears

Mixed media and poem

Butterflies often symbolize transformation, and rightly so. I mean, they start out as a creepy crawly caterpillar, bound to the ground. Then they hide away for a bit in seclusion, all alone. Once their cocoon breaks open, they are set free. They’re given a new colourful body and wings to fly.

I like to compare this process of metamorphosis in the natural world to my own life experience. I see myself as this sad, dark and empty girl in the artwork above. Not me today, but years ago when I was young and immature. Years ago when I was asking what the heck I was doing here on Earth. When I was living an empty, meaningless life, without direction or purpose.

When I came to my senses and decided to leave that life behind, my transformation started. It didn’t happen overnight though. I spun a good thick cocoon because it took time. A long time. I am thankful that God has pulled me through. I owe it all to Him, because I know that I couldn’t do it alone. Nobody can.

I would love to know if you can relate to this at all. Please share your own experience.

---

 

The above painting was done on recycled material. An empty cereal box actually.

Heart Change

Life is all about making choices. It’s also about living in the moment, because that’s all we really have. We need to notice the beauty in moments. Even the tough ones. One thing I’ve learned is that I am constantly changing, growing, learning and transforming. The other thing I’ve noticed is that it’s not of my own doing. I look to someone higher and greater than me for that transformation.

I’ve also learned that I don’t need to believe and accept what popular culture preaches. Actually, a lot of it I reject. This post I wrote a while back is an example of that. I used to believe so much, just because of what society and popular culture preaches. Allowing truth and light to enter my heart and mind, to transform me, to fashion me, to change me, and to heal me has been revolutionary. The great thing is that it hasn’t stopped. This tranformation is continual and will continue until the day I die.

Do you notice the beauty in moments, even the hard ones? Do you allow yourself to learn through life experience? What are your views on society and culture, and it’s effects on your thinking and actions?

With Emotion (Monotetra)

Let’s make sweet music, you and I
Stirring the soul, touching the sky
Rhythms and notes to abide by
Affeto will fly, affeto will fly

Inhaling love, exhaling hate
transforming mind, beautiful fate
No more twisted paths, only straight
Right to the gate, right to the gate

Once I was lost, now I am found
So goes the song, old yet profound
Distorted mind has found new ground
Spirit is sound, spirit is sound

(Affeto: Music terminology meaning, ‘Affect’, and to do so with emotion. So then, ‘with emotion’)

Recently I have been dabbing into experimenting again with poetry forms. My blogger friend over at My OctPoWriMo is to blame for this. Please, if you haven’t checked her out yet, hop on over there and read some of her amazing poetry. If you would like to challenge yourself to write within the boundaries of various poetry forms, check out her page, “Poetry Forms”.

The above poem is a ‘Monotetra’, which consists of four lines in a stanza, each line being eight syllables long. Each line must rhyme and the last line is a repeater, being four syllables x four syllables. If you’re up to it, give it a try. Then let me know how you found it and share your work.

Is there anybody/thing that you can relate this poem to? Is there anyone/thing that makes you want to say, “Let’s make music together? Let’s do it with passion and emotion?

Autumn – Creative Collaboration

Before I go on, I would like to sincerely ask for your forgiveness of my mistake within the above poem. I had changed the third stanza, and forgot to take out ‘to’ before ‘anew’. It should read, ‘allow your senses to speak anew’. I will blame it on the fact that it is night-time and just finished putting my kids to bed. I spent a long time trying to mount this within the photo, and now the photo has been saved with the poem in it. Please accept my sincere apologies. 

This poem was written in response to Neha’s ‘Autumn Collaboration Calling All Poets, Bloggers & Creative Minds – Bring in your colours with fall‘ prompt over at Forgotten Meadows. I was excited about doing it at first because I have not done many poems about the different seasons, or nature. However, after reading Lorrie’s beautiful poem, ‘The Fall’, I thought I wouldn’t be able to write anything that would do this project justice.

Today, as I was on my ‘reflection’ walk after my run, I thought about it a bit more. Different ideas came to mind as I was considering a bit of the conversation I had with Lorrie on her blog.  The autumn is a time of transition and leading up to a time of death. However, even though the leaves are falling to their death, they are changing into beautiful colors. It makes me think of the physical beauty of youth, and how we are always trying to preserve that. However, true inner beauty is something that grows and develops over a lifetime.

It also made me think of death, and being prepared for it. Autumn is a time of preparation. Gathering food, wood, supplies, and what have you in order to prepare for the harsh winter ahead.

It also made me think of life itself. About where we place true importance. About what time we are living in. Are we living in the now, noticing our moments and the beauty that lies in each one? Or are we wishing for what already was and has since passed? Or are we always looking to the future, hoping and longing for something better?

Just a few thoughts. Would love to hear yours.

Pingback: Daily Post Daily Prompt: Autumn Leaves