Tag Archives: Life

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 2, 2023
Tags: , , , C.X Turner, emotional turbulence, hiding, , Life, , , mistake, , , , , , , , , white-tipped waves,   

October Rain

My father
a talisman of probability
and of broken hope, found
underneath a staircase
drunk
on October rain.

A teacher
who left probability aside
in favor of developing brokenness
into the night —
he fashioned emotions
into sleeves
of tears held at bay
a dam no one wants to make.

It is a skill learned
out of survival
when we feel like a mistake, and
a burden to life
and to an imagined view
staring back at me in the mirror —
You.

©JeffFlesch.com
Image by Mysticsartdesign, Pixabay

Recently I sent two poems to Rust & Moth, an amazing online poetry journal. While both were rejected, it reminded me that acceptance lives inside rejection, and is part of the writing process. It also reminded me to continue to pursue new topics and feelings in my writing. October Rain is a poem that explores both of these.

White-tipped Waves, by C.X. Turner

cradling the light
I didn’t ever hope
to find you

wave after wave
breaking down

retreating with the tide

awash
with past mistakes
in an ocean of loss

love
came to
remind me
take me with you
but let me go

I contemplate the seasons
you and I went through

find myself
inland on foreign soil
alone yet not lonely

discover
peaceful opportunities
to carry light
however deep the fight

White-tipped Waves is a poem that was created by a dear friend of mine, C.X. Turner, in response to velvet soft, which was a response poem to Scattered Sakura. Scattered Sakura was submitted to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow 30 Poems in 30 Days collaboration by C.X. Turner. I love this poem with all of my heart.

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #broken, #burden, #c-x-turner, #emotional-turbulence, #hiding, #learning, #life, #love, #mirror, #mistake, #naturespeaks, #pain, #poem, #realization, #seeking, #sorrow, #tears, #trauma, #white-tipped-waves, #whole

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on March 26, 2023
Tags: , , closure, , , Life, , , , , , , star, , time's relapse, ,   

Time’s Relapse

I drink you in
a star of yesteryear
and of a future
shared

a day
like the next
continuing
to reimagine time’s relapse

of memories
transformed into dreams
amongst stars
encrusted with sleep

and
with the closure
needed

to regulate our heartbeat

Image by Prettysleepy, Pixabay Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: drink, sleep, closure. Follow me on Twitter here.

A Spillwords Press Nomination

I’m honored to relate that my poem Field Full of Flowers was nominated for March publication of the month at Spillwords Press. Thank you to Dagmara K, and the team at Spillwords for their support, and to each and every one of you for your continued support, and friendship.

I would be grateful if you would take a moment and vote here. Thank you!

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #awakening, #closure, #healing, #heart, #life, #love, #nature, #no-time, #paradox, #poem, #realization, #star, #time, #times-relapse, #transformation

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on March 19, 2023
Tags: , celebration, , hopeful, Life, , , , , , painful, , , , serendipity,   

serendipitous vortex

I see you
in the peaceful sky, and in
the anticipation of the lost souls
that tried

to feel more
and to become more

a celebration
and an adventure
of learning, and of love

and
of a serendipitous vortex
calling us both back
for more

Image by Prettysleepy, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: peace, anticipation, celebration, adventure. Follow me on Twitter here.

MasticadoresIndia/USA Publications

I am always honored to have my poetry at MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA. It is a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Terveen, and Barbara for always supporting my work; and, thank you to each of you for continuing to read, like, and comment on my poems on these two exceptional online magazines.

Here are my two newest pieces.

I would be honored if you would read them when you have a moment, thank you!

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #celebration, #feelings, #hopeful, #life, #love, #masticadoresindia-masticadoresusa, #mind-body, #nature, #new-publications, #painful, #peace, #poem, #realization, #serendipity

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on March 18, 2023
Tags: , , , , , , Life, , , , mindset, , perserverence, pics, , , ,   

hope grows

I cry
and sometimes the reason
why

eludes me
though

the significance
permeates each cell of the body
and mind

creating a touchstone
of love

and of hope
carrying seeds destined
to take root

and grow

Image by cocoparisienne, Pixabay

Last week, I went to visit my mom and sisters in Los Angeles, and had a wonderful time. It was so good to spend quality time with my mom, and to see my sisters and their beautiful families. We also went up to Camarillo and visited my niece who is studying at California State Channel Islands. A lovely University in the hills of Camarillo.

While trips are nice, it was also lovely to be home, and to visit all of you today. I missed reading and interacting with all of you last week. Because I chose to forgo posting last weekend, I am posting twice this week (tonight, and tomorrow morning, as usual).

Below are some pics from the trip.

Wishing you all a wonderful Saturday, Sunday.

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #family, #feelings, #growth, #hope, #illusion, #life, #los-angeles, #love, #mind-body, #mindset, #pain, #perserverence, #pics, #poem, #reality, #seeds, #transformation

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on March 5, 2023
Tags: , , , , , incomplete, Life, , , , , publiucation, , , sun's paradox, , vulernability   

the sun’s paradox

I rest my head
in a catalyst of stars

a blanket
nourishing the mind
and the body

the result
of a cherished, and
vulnerable heart

are
memories
brought about
by the sun’s paradox

a song
of complete, and incomplete
and everything
in between

Photo by Darkmoon_Art, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: catalyst, cherish, vulnerable, incomplete. Follow me on Twitter here.

A Field Full of Flowers, Published at Spillwords Press

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Dagmara K, and the team at Spillwords Press for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.

A Field Full of Flowers

a field full of flowers…

dreams wake me from beyond, telling tales
of hope and despair
lost
to the stars

as they linger in the sky, just like the last time,
we said goodbye, holding you
close to heart, becomes
needed, and
necessary,

reminiscent….

I would be honored if you would go here, and read the entire poem. Thank you!

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #body, #catalyst, #complete, #heart, #incomplete, #life, #love, #mind, #nature, #poem, #publiucation, #spillwords-press, #stars, #suns-paradox, #vulernability

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on February 26, 2023
Tags: , , archeryintheUK, , calmness, depression, , , , , ingridwilson, , Life, , , , , nickreeves, , , perserverance, , , quietude, , , ,   

soldered heart

I see you
in the majestic & the forlorn

a depressive state
bereft
of indifference, and of alienation

tales
of evenings
alone

a soldered heart
wanting to learn more

about peace
and love

a tangent scale to climb
when

hanging
upside down from
the clouds
in the starry sky

Photo by ausbitbank, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: bereft, evening, solder, tangent. Follow me on Twitter here.

MasticadoresIndia/USA Publications

I am always honored to have my poetry in MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA. It is a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Terveen, and Barbara for always supporting my work; and, thank you to each of you for continuing to read, like, and comment on my poems on these two exceptional online magazines.

Here are my two newest pieces.

I would be honored if you would read them when you have a moment, thank you!

Book Reviews

Archery In The UK

A good friend of mine and publisher of #1 Amazon Bestseller Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, Ingrid Wilson, released a new book recently. Archery In The UK is a collaboration with Nick Reeves, and is a beautiful and passionate book.

Once I started reading Archery In The UK it was hard to put down. The book mixes poetic forms, inviting the reader on a journey of beautifully flowing language, touching hearts, and minds, and leaving me teary-eyed, joyful, and inspired. It is an amazing collaboration.

I highly recommend Archery in the UK, which you can purchase on Amazon here.

The Light in The Cave

The Light in The Cave, by Tricia Sankey is a wonderful Novela full of richly crafted details, and characters developed with depth, and an intensity that fills the reader with a desire to read more, and more. I enjoyed the way Tricia developed the characters and the plot line in a way that left me guessing as to the story behind the story until well into the later chapters, which is where we find that the characters we’ve come to know and love are not exactly who we thought they were. The Light in The Cave is an amazing work of science fiction. I highly recommend reading this wonderful book.

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #anxiety, #archeryintheuk, #beauty, #calmness, #depression, #determination, #experimentsinfiction, #happiness, #heart, #ingridwilson, #joy, #life, #love, #masticadoresindia, #masticadoresusa, #nature, #nickreeves, #pain, #peace, #perserverance, #poem, #publications, #quietude, #reslience, #review, #sorrow

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on February 12, 2023
Tags: , , , , , , , Life, , , , , , , , seeding,   

seeding love

I stare
into the essence of nature
transfixed

by webs
of confusion

leaving me disjointed
with feelings
once held in common
and in season

a hibernation
from pain, and from sorrow

seeding
a living legacy of laughter, and of love
in its place

making
the whole word dissipate

Photo by ausbitbank, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt word used: hibernation. Follow me on Twitter here.

MasticadoresIndia/USA Publications

I am always honored to have my poetry in MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA. It is a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Terveen, and Barbara for always supporting my work; and, thank you to each of you for continuing to read, like, and comment on my poems on these two exceptional online magazines.

Here are my two newest pieces.

I would be honored if you would read them when you have a moment, thank you!

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #clarity, #confusion, #cosmos, #essence, #illusion, #legacy, #life, #love, #masticadoresindia, #masticadoresusa, #nature, #poem, #publications, #reality, #seeding

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on February 5, 2023
Tags: , , , hidden in childhood, Life, , , , , number 1 best seller, , , , , , ,   

honeycomb

I want to play with the nature
of pain

and hide
the existence of tears
dwelling
within the chambers of change

a doppelgänger
made from the cusp of our love
frosted over
with the nest of

a honeycomb

encircled
by clouds hanging upside down
from

the starry sky above

Photo by FreeCreativeStuff, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: want, change, doppelgänger. Follow me on Twitter here.

MasticadoresIndia/USA Publications

I am always honored to have my poetry in MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA. It is a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Terveen, and Barbara for always supporting my work; and, thank you to each of you for continuing to read, like, and comment on my poems on these two exceptional online magazines.

Here are my two newest pieces.

I would be honored if you would read them when you have a moment, thank you!

OUT NOW! Hidden in Childhood, A Poetry Anthology, edited by Gabriela Marie Milton

Hidden in Childhood, A Poetry Anthology was released this past week, and it skyrocketed to the #1 spot on Amazon New Release for several days. I am honored to have two pieces published in this gorgeous anthology. Thank you Gabriela for always supporting my work, for being an amazing friend, and for continuing to create new opportunities for writers all over the world to have their voices heard, and their stories read.

If you’ve not yet picked up a copy of this gorgeous anthology, please do so with the link above. Thank you!

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #change, #healing, #hidden-in-childhood, #life, #love, #masticadoresindia, #masticadoresusa, #nature, #number-1-best-seller, #pain, #poem, #publications, #sky, #stars, #transformation

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on January 22, 2023
Tags: , , , , , , Life, , , , , , , , , , , , , watching wicked   

watching wicked

I sit in silence
watching
wicked blues, and greens
arise

across the horizon of mind

a prompt
and nature of cosmos
in, and out of time

days once lost
are now filled with love, and with the
promise

of you close
realizing this truth

I hold tight
and never let you go

Photo by M_Graham, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: wicked, prompt, day, lost. Follow me on Twitter here.

Prized Possession, Published at MasticadoresUSA

I am pleased to announce that my poem, Prized Possession, is now available at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you, Barbara Leonhard, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for your continued support, and for publishing this piece.

Prized Possession

I look in the mirror
and find
a reflection, known to none, yet
known to all

a persona of nature
and of soul, dancing within
an interlude, a prized possession –
desire…

I’d be honored if you would read the full poem here. Thank you!

Here is the last poetic response to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration that I have written at this time. If time permits, I will write poetic responses to the last 4 or 5 beautiful poems that were submitted to this collaboration.

Rise Again

sitting with the feelings that arise
it was your eyes
I

always looked into
like the sun

among
a shadowed world

grays, mixed with other fragrant
colors

creating
a burgeoning in my heart

when you chose to depart
this plane for another, it kept me
lingering

among the pain and mourning
deep within

though I now realize
this pain wasn’t a sin

so, I rise again

Rise Again was inspired by the poem, The Resurrection of Red by, Camellia.

Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #30-poems-in-30-days, #awareness, #colors, #cosmos, #heart, #life, #love, #masticadoresusa, #mind, #nature, #naturespeaks, #poem, #promise, #publication, #realization, #silence, #truth, #watching-wicked

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on January 8, 2023
Tags: , , , , , , Life, , , , , , projection, promise and possibility, , scripted truth,   

scripted truth

I rest my eyes
on the sunset, long in shadow
and lost in temptation

I recall
a coddled wall
of memories

where backlash
found safety, a thin membrane
of projection

and a hurled osmosis
of confusion

a scripted truth

of
transmigration, and the cosmosis birth
of you

Photo by PeterKraayvanger, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: coddle, hurl, script. Follow me on Twitter here.

It occurred to me recently that I’ve not yet shared all of my response poems to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration. Therefore, over the next several weeks, I will share a couple of them each week, along with the poet that inspired my poetic response.

Here are the first two.

Artless Love

they alight on a leaf
tranquil, and made up of a piece
of our love

the broken bits
sewn back together
by the sky

above

restless, and tired
I linger in the alcove

where mist
displays the toxicity of the pain
in my head
and

in my heart

drifting with the wind
I stop
and realize

you
are the one that’s always been
and will always be

dramatized
by the rendition of an artless love

Artless Love was inspired by the poem Butterflies Blue, by Shruthi.

Lonely, and Desolate

confusion abounds inside my head
while I linger along a street
lonely, and

desolate

ambling
toward the sunshine over the horizon
I melt

into
a pool of wonderment
and of awe

awaiting
the stars to appear in the sky
I too

realize
you are at the center of my life
teaching me more
than any book could possibly
confide

the love
you’ve delivered to me
over the course of my life

Lonely, and Desolate was inspired by the poem Stay Away, by Spriha Kant.

Jeff Flesch

Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Author of the Month, Jan/Feb 2022, Spillwords Press

#poetry, #30-poems-in-30-days, #clarity, #confusion, #cosmos, #healing, #life, #love, #memories, #nature, #naturespeaks, #poem, #projection, #promise-and-possibility, #renewal, #scripted-truth