PTSD – Something to Ponder About

Weekly Proverb

“Insignificant damage accumulates.”

Strauss, Emmanuel (1994). Dictionary of European Proverbs, Volym 1. Routledge.

Weekly Quote

“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”
Jim Rohn

I read this somewhere: Sometimes you have to walk away from people, not because you don’t care, but because they don’t.

When someone repeatedly hurts you over and over again, you might have to accept the fact that they don’t really care about you.

That is hard to contemplate or hear, especially if you really care about them but sometimes it is necessary for you to hear this in order for you to let them go.

Do NOT strive to impress them any further. Waste not another second of your time trying to prove something to them. Nothing needs to be proven. Do not act with any thought of them ever again.

Give yourself permission to let those folk go from your life……

A sobering thought for Sunday Sayings.

Several years ago, I created ‘Proverbial Friday’ on my blog.

I became fascinated with traditional proverbs and sayings, their metaphorical layers and the many different interpretations found within just a few, succinct words. I marveled at their ability to transcend race, religion, opinions and age.

They offer us knowledge; knowledge that is passed to us in much the same way relay runners might pass a baton. Once it’s handed over, it is up to us what we do with it and how we pass it on.

The A and I Bilingual Poetry Challenge runs each month until October.

The prompt for July is:

Turn on the radio to any channel.

Write a poem inspired by the first thing you hear

(lyrics to a song, a commercial, etc.)

This is my contribution.

A Mother’s Lament

So innocent, and vital, that smiley young boy,

With giggles and laughs, so charmingly coy.

Growing so tall after you donned that uniform;

Jumping so eagerly at war, which the suited men had spawned.

At home here we hear of the deathly horror you’ve seen,

It seems like everything turned black, when you turned 19.

Half a man returned home; as your soul is still there.

Seeing you broken is more than a mother can bear.

Each day, the gulf between us slowly widening,

as you keep running from the shadows, there’s no denying.

No more giggles, no smiles and never a laugh;

I don’t understand why you avoid photographs.

You close down any talk, you’re consumed with hate,

War’s legacy sinks down on us all, like a lead plate.

But my clock’s running down as time’s marching on,

I only hope for small reconciliations, before I’m long gone.

I see that smiley young face in the photo on the bureau,

realizing sadly, he’s a stranger, I once used to know.

Amanda – July 2018

For the Afrikaans version of the Poetry Challenge – Visit Ineke at scrapydo2.wordpress.com

*Instru****ctions for Joining the Poetry Challenge:*–

Ineke and I will post a poetry prompt and writing tips and links, around 1st day of each month.

You might need to follow our blogs so that the posts show up in your WP reader.

Using your own idea, or the monthly prompt supplied, write a post with a poem, either fun or serious and post before the 27th day of that month.
Include in your post a link or pingback to both:

scrapydo2.wordpress.com

Something to Ponder About – forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com

Please add the tag A and I Poetry Challenge on YOUR BLOG POST.
As ping backs sometimes don’t work, please also leave a comment at Ineke’s blog, scrapydo2.wordpress.com and Amanda’s blog, Something to Ponder About, with the url link to YOUR blog post on the challenge post for that month. N.B. If you do this, others can find their way to your challenge post and create a supportive community too.