She was beautiful the first time I saw her
In that cute way with floppy ears
A smiley face and a wagging tail
I told her to get in the truck and
She was ready to go and she
Never looked back
We were her forever family and
She loved us, just like we loved her
With all our hearts
For 10.5 years she was my beloved and constant
Companion and I will never forget her
R.I.P my beloved baby girl……
©Shelley Brant – 2016
Green leaves and sunshine
Flip-flops are so divine
Cascading water-falls
Swim suits and beach balls
Busy bees and flowers
Warm nights and light showers
Butterflies and pretty birds
Singing loudly trying to be heard
Rolling waves and hot sand
Picnics and outdoor bands
Ahhhhhhhhh summer is here…..
©Shelley Brant – 2016
As I wander the road of life
without any particular direction
Letting life take me where it will
As I ride the wave into the unknown
I make stops at some interesting places
I see hardworking people sowing the seeds of life
I see what appears to be heaven itself
I see frightening and scary images
I see another country rife with pain
And someone in need of rescue
As I travel aimlessly through my dreams
I discover a whole other world…..
©Shelley Brant – 2016
Some how I developed into being a perfectionist. Was the fact that I never seemed to be good enough in my parents eyes? Maybe, but the amount of pressure a perfectionist places on his/her self is immense and exhausting.
I have since fought back against my perfectionism by going the opposite way and letting my house be messy, making mistakes and being ok with it. There was a time when it would cause me anxiety to have a messy house or dishes in the sink or to make mistakes. I’m finding that with this exercise, although a lot of criticism by other people who think I am now a slob, my anxiety has subsided. There are always methods I use to help myself that others don’t understand and that’s ok because they don’t have to. It’s all about exposure and healing, going through this exercise has allowed me to stop beating myself up and putting pressure on myself to be perfect. I really am ok with not being perfect or with not being a perfectionist.
I am human and I have flaws that I am also perfectly ok with, and I love and accept myself for who I am. I don’t need validation from others and I don’t need permission to be me. I do what I do in order to help me and I don’t need to explain to others what I am doing or why either. You’re perfectly ok to think I am a slob because I don’t have a floor you can eat off, but just remember there is always a method to my madness whether you understand it or not.
From perfect to human in just 45 million steps. Ahhhhhh progress.
Removing the bricks one by one
Realizing there is nothing to fear
Being authentically who you are
Letting no one define you
Letting go of false belief systems
Accepting other people’s differences
Embracing your own
Removing the masks
Giving love and also accepting it
Accepting what is in the moment
This is what it means to be open….
© Shelley Brant – 2016
The evening sky was painted with beautiful hues of pinks and reds, as she sipped her glass of wine, and watched the dog play in the water, she couldn’t help but think how lucky she was.
This beautiful place here by the sea was her solace and her refuge, where she came to write, dream and bask in the peace and quiet. The waves splashed roughly against the shore as if to show their mighty power and to give a warning to all who might enter their waters, always reminding then who was in charge.
She was lost in her thoughts when she began to notice the wind pick up and the temperature drop. She pulled her sweater tight and shivered a little, the waves grew bigger and were now raging and angry. She called to the dog, as she sensed a storm coming in off the coast, and they could be nasty. It was time to tuck themselves into their quaint little cottage and relax for the night. She was a bit uneasy and couldn’t figure out why. It’s not like she had never seen a storm before, she had seen plenty. She lit the fire and decided she was just being silly and poured another glass of wine.
All of a sudden the lights went out and she froze, she heard the wind whipping forcefully against the windows and she panicked. She was not good in the dark, and never had been, even when she was a child. She felt around the kitchen until she came across her candles and furiously lit them. The dog was also acting funny and stressed. She peeked out her window and saw why, there was a funnel cloud heading right in their direction. She quickly gathered the dog and herself along with a few candles and headed toward the root-cellar.
She could hear the thrashing of the storm as she panicked in the root-cellar and wondered if they would get out alive. Although she had seen storms before, they were nothing like this one. It was like the earth was taking all its rage and aggression out in this one storm and as if it was seeking her some how. She coward in the corner trying to calm the dog for maybe two hours before she realized the storm had passed.
When she emerged from the root-cellar she expected to find nothing left of her cute little cottage and was panicked at the thought. And there it stood in all its natural beauty, her refuge, her home away from home, with only a few broken windows. She let out a huge sigh of relief and tried to calm herself down, it was time to pour herself another drink.
Fictional write for todays one word challenge…
Heart?
or
Head?
Which one holds the truth
The unhealthy ego?
Or the heart which only knows love?
The struggle between the two
Has always been a war best left un-fought
And yet it continues…..
©Shelley Brant – 2016
Struggle
Shattered, laying on the ground
In pieces, eyes red and swollen
What is left of me and my life?
What is left to fight for?
Slowly I begin to see the answers
As I get up and wipe my tears
And one step at a time
I begin to slowly rebuild
I begin to take back my power
And reclaim who I am
I embrace that woman who has fought
Who refused to give up during the dark
Moments of despair
I see her beauty and her worth
I see her love shine through like
A bright light in a turbulent storm
And finally it’s in that light
That all the pieces come back together….
©Shelley Brant – 2016
I can’t wrap my head around hate
How someone being different is
Treated as a bad thing
How that hatred extends to murder
Of people you don’t even know
Or have any concept of
How it broils so deeply within
That they can pick up a weapon
And end someone’s life
I will never have an understanding of it
And for that I am truly grateful…..
©Shelley Brant – 2016
No complications
The drama of yester year is gone
Now dawns the quiet
The peaceful years of a life
Lived in simplicity…..
©Shelley Brant
PTSD - The Long Journey Home 