of love and honor

Pixabay

houses made
of straw, and
fortresses,
created
on the shifting
sands of time,
without knowing
of another relevant
offering.

ensues,
instability,

during,

the most
prestigious
journey,
of a life lived, of
love known,
and loss
betrothed.

wedded,
hand-in-hand,
we search for reasons,
contemplate
the faltering, and
fight
the quell
on the inside.

battling back,
we retrace
our steps,
and begin to create
new foundations,
one brick at
a time;

laying them
one upon another,
in a fantastic
lattice,
of love
and honor.


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Just Released!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, well, you can now order it online. Hereโ€™s where you can find it:

Paperback-

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9390817455

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9390817455

Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/9390817455

Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/9390817455

Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/9390817455

Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/9390817455

Amazon JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/9390817455

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/9390817455

Ebook

Payhip- https://payhip.com/b/DjE8x

Kobo Books- https://www.kobo.com/in/en/ebook/utmost-feelings

B&N Press- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/utmost-feelings-astha-srivastava/1139758293?ean=2940162372431

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#contemplation, #creation, #emotions, #foundation, #humanity, #introspection, #life, #loss, #love, #poem, #poems, #resilience

whole and complete once more

Photo by Orane Thomas on Unsplash

broken,
my fragments
of being,
call out to me
with such intensity
it makes for
a show
of great propensity.

the desire
to know more,
to be more,
lingers in the heavens
and within my heart,
just like you do,
as I look
at you,
and

remember,

the tides,
rushing
towards me
on that fateful
night.

you fill
the spaces
in between
with light,
and I am
resurrected
in your sight.

recalled,
rejoindered,
and made
whole,
and complete
once more;

I let go

of the fright,
and abide
in the knowing
that everything
has been, is,
and always will be
alright.


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Just Released!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, well, you can now order it online. Hereโ€™s where you can find it:

Paperback-

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9390817455

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9390817455

Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/9390817455

Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/9390817455

Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/9390817455

Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/9390817455

Amazon JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/9390817455

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/9390817455

Ebook

Payhip- https://payhip.com/b/DjE8x

Kobo Books- https://www.kobo.com/in/en/ebook/utmost-feelings

B&N Press- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/utmost-feelings-astha-srivastava/1139758293?ean=2940162372431

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #connection, #consciousness, #contemplation, #humanity, #introspection, #life, #love, #poem, #poems, #shared, #whole

Blessings in the Sky: Diana and Jeff

The sky is full
of stars, and
as we gaze up,
and wonder why,
a pattern
of constellations emerge,
reminiscent
of all that weโ€™ve purged.

The lost stories that
peek from behind
the moving clouds,
of love,
of life, and
treasured bruises that
paved our path.

A hope,
and knowing
from long ago,
just like the stars
we see,
timeless, and
beyond the dream,
so we continue
into the unforeseen.

I stroll the contours
of a hanging rainbow, letting the taste of beautiful
tragedies linger on my breath,
and icy winds cut through my weight
of woes.

I want to know now
what hope feels like,
and devour drops of peace,
because โ€ฆ. nothing lasts forever,
even the darkness, one day, will cease.


I am honored to present a first-time collaboration between Diana Menezes, of Be Inspired, and myself. Dianaโ€™s poetry blog was one of the first poetry blogs I began following last year. Dianaโ€™s blog is full of poems about life, love, hope, dreams, and so much more. If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Dianaโ€™s blog, please do so, thank you!

Utmost Feelings โ€“ Just Released!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, well, you can now order it online! Hereโ€™s where you can find it:

Paperback

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9390817455

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9390817455

Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/9390817455

Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/9390817455

Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/9390817455

Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/9390817455

Amazon JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/9390817455

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/9390817455

Ebook

Payhip- https://payhip.com/b/DjE8x

Kobo Books- https://www.kobo.com/in/en/ebook/utmost-feelings

B&N Press- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/utmost-feelings-astha-srivastava/1139758293?ean=2940162372431

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #blessings, #hidden, #poem, #poems, #sky

Our Hearts Guide

Photo by jae bano on Unsplash

as the ground
cracks
beneath me, Iโ€™m
reminded,
of the fissures
running along
the entirety of
my being.

cracks that,
at times,
become craters,
wide, with unknown
depths,
just like the earthly
realm we see, full
of paths on land,
and under the sea.

cracks
and craters
stepped,
and leapt, over,
Iโ€™m now moving
beyond times measure.

unknown distance
from the center,
and yes,
hard to measure.

scraping
and clawing
our way into that
center, is
of utmost pleasure,

and pain, both.

yet,
what other way
would we have it?

inside the depths
of those fissures
lies the heart
of another life
lived, discarded,
and now, intentionally
picked back up for progression.

moving again,
in synchronicity,
as we glide,
we will abide,
and once again follow
our hearts guide.


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #connection, #contemplation, #heart, #humanity, #introspection, #life, #love, #ourheartsguide, #poem, #poems

A Bloggerโ€™s Diary 6/28/21: On the Week, Writing and Reflecting, WordPress, Gardening, and Appreciating 950 Followers

The Week

This week I learned that my cousin passed away in a car accident. I was, and am, saddened by the news; and, my heart goes out to all of my family in Los Angeles, and everywhere else that my family is today. Sending love and blessings to all of you.

At work this week, I prepared to take the team through a team building in two weeks, which is about creating next year. I am excited, as the entire team has not gathered in a while. Should be fun.

Writing and Reflecting

Writing did occur, as it always does, and was, well, quite prolific this week. Meaning, poems continue to come, and I am deeply grateful for the experience.ย 

Itโ€™s interesting, sometimes thereโ€™s nothing there, and at others, itโ€™s like a flood of emotions and writing all at once. Pretty amazing, indeed.

I also submitted four poems recently for publication. Two to MASTICADORESUSA, edited by Gabriela Marie Milton, which were accepted.

I am super excited about these two poems being published, and am grateful to Gabriela and the team at MASTICADORESUSA for accepting these poems.

Thank you.

I also submitted two poems to Spillwords. Iโ€™ve not heard anything back from Spillwords yet, and will keep you posted on these two submissions, as well as the two submitted to MASTICADORESUSA. Grateful, grateful.

WordPress

I also found out this week that my WP reader is not linked to all of the sites Iโ€™m following, which makes interacting with everyone a little more challenging. Therefore, I am planning to unfollow and refollow a whole bunch of sites in the next two weeks.

I think this will work, as it has in the past. So, if you see me unfollow and then refollow, thatโ€™s whatโ€™s happening. Thanks for being patient with me!

Gardening

Itโ€™s been a few weeks since Iโ€™ve created a Community Gardening post, and I chose this week to update all of you via my diary entry, as writing another Community Gardening post eludes me at the moment.

Yes! Everything is growing quite well; and, yep, Iโ€™ve got some weeding to do too!ย 

The peas and broccoli are delicious, and I am really excited about the tomatoes, squash, and, well, everything else thatโ€™s planted.

Appreciating 950 Followers

Photo by Kevin Butz on Unsplash

I am ecstatic to share that the site has surpassed 950 followers. My goal at the beginning of the year was to get to 1000 followers by the end of June. Though Iโ€™ll fall a little short of that goal, I am overjoyed about, and appreciative of, each of the 950 people that are following this site. Thatโ€™s you! Thank you!

The past year has been lots of things. Hard, sad, and, it has also been wonderful, and beautiful. And, at this moment?ย 

I am grateful.ย 

Grateful to each of you for viewing, liking, commenting, and sharing my posts. Beyond grateful.

I appreciate each of you, and am thankful to have met each and everyone of you.ย 

You are all inspiring and beautiful.

Sending love and blessings for a splendid week.


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#appreciation, #blog, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #community, #conenction, #friends, #gardening, #life, #love, #reflecting, #writing

Forever Intertwined

Photo by bhuvanesh gupta on Unsplash

As tiredness
sets in
I recall the splendor
of the moment forever

When your hand
met mine
and we divined
to stay together
until another

pastime

of ages
have gone through
once again
moving forward
without a trace or a resonance
of the lost or the found
only the

bound

Together like two pieces โ€“ nay
parts of a larger whole
oh โ€“ please say youโ€™ll
be mine until
weโ€™re old

We look
into each otherโ€™s eyes
and there seen
is a knowing
something
not from this world
more from another realm
entirely

As we sit
alongside each other
hand-in-hand
such pleasure
we do find
of heart and mind
forever intertwined


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, a few of the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments into this document, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #connection, #forever, #humanity, #intertwined, #knowing, #life, #love, #poem, #poems, #relationships, #shared

Haiku #29

Photo by Al Soot on Unsplash

lotus flower blooms,
as the mind expands, and learns
from past circumstance


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #consciousness, #contemplation, #expansion, #haiku, #humanity, #learning, #life, #love, #meditation, #mind, #nature, #poem, #poems

breathe, then, breathe again

Photo by Mishal Ibrahim on Unsplash

how does it feel deep
inside when a line
breaks, again, and again,
through time?

breaking uncontrollable,
solace not found
only rebounded
from past to present
and never protected.

holding the pieces
of my being together,
with all the muster
that I can gather.

tears a flood,
body racked with remorse
of another time,
soul cracking
from the inside out,

without,

letting me know
the reason
for all of my doubts.

and just then?

breathe,
then,
breathe
again.

it happens,
just
as it is supposed to,
even when we try
really hard to
force the issue.

breathe,
then,
breathe
again.

itโ€™s not ours to hold
alone,
even though
thatโ€™s what
weโ€™ve been told.

mystery
meets conjecture
through the turbulent
weather and storms
of centuries
of nomenclature.

weโ€™re unbound
and limitless,
regardless of what
youโ€™ve been seeking,
and protecting
from the druthers
of all of lifeโ€™s pleasures.

breathe,
then,
breathe
again.

take solace in
yourself,
rejoice in the love
residing
in your heart,
which has been there
from the very start.

no need to guess,

simply
ask the question
to the One
who
has the access.


Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #community, #connection, #contemplation, #emotions, #heart, #humanity, #introspection, #life, #love, #poem, #poems

Our Souls Collective Being

Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash

wish upon a star
dropped down
from afar,
passed knowing, being,
and our collective
pleading.

lands
beyond time,
space,
and all the rest
of our misgivingsโ€™

trace

us back to here,
now,
watching, learning,
loving, and as
we keep trudging, we
realize the truth
about

ourselves
in the process
of becoming.

a flower unfolds,
itโ€™s heart bared
for you to see,
mirroring the majesty
of a moment
typically unseen.

resting
in this knowing,
we accept
and also protect
the myriad of
destinies,
written upon
the wall of time
with the essence
of our souls
collective being.

Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #collective, #connection, #contemplation, #humanity, #introspection, #living, #loving, #nature, #poem, #poems, #shared, #soul

The Gift Bestowed

Image credit; Dakota Corbin @ Unsplash

jagged edges
cut deep
while resolving

we keep

our connection
to all
of our heartโ€™s
deepest secrets
bared
only
for you and me

hidden
for a time

back
with fervor
and a gusto
all their
own

we know

the show
is only
for those
that truly grow

into

other iterations
of being
while transfixed
by the matrix
of collective
memories
and

shadows
of past
circumstance

we resolve

and move
toward tomorrow
with a sense of
urgency
and yes
sometimes sorrow

yet
finally

we behold

the
afterglow
of the
gift bestowed


I wrote this poem the other night, and I as I reflected upon the WDYS #87 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje, it occurred to me that this poem was perfect for the prompt. I love it when that happens.

Utmost Feelings โ€“ Coming Soon!

If youโ€™ve not yet checked out Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you.

Additionally, the coauthors of Asthaโ€™s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, are creating a space for people to send their sentiments to Asthaโ€™s family.

If you are interested, please add your sentiments to this form, thank you, and stay blessed.

#poetry, #care, #compassion, #connection, #determination, #growth, #humanity, #joy, #life, #love, #poem, #poems, #resilience, #sorrow, #wdys