Tag Archives: pain

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 2, 2023
Tags: , , , C.X Turner, emotional turbulence, hiding, , , , , mistake, , pain, , , , , , , 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 pm on March 18, 2023
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , mindset, pain, 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 February 26, 2023
Tags: , , archeryintheUK, , calmness, , , , , , ingridwilson, , , , , , , nickreeves, pain, , 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 5, 2023
Tags: , , , hidden in childhood, , , , , , number 1 best seller, pain, , , , , ,   

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 29, 2023
Tags: , author of the year nomination, , , , , , pain, , , , , , , ,   

2022 Author of the Year Nomination at Spillwords Press, and Reorganizing Possibility, by Jeff Flesch

I am elated, and so very honored to let you all know that I received a nomination this week for the 2022 Author of the Year at Spillwords Press. I am humbled by this wonderful gesture and have written the following poem as a thank you to all of you and to the Spillwords Press editorial team for supporting me, and for making dreams of possibility become reality.

Reorganizing Possibility

Trust in the feelings at dawn
conspiring
to leave you confused about
the nature of pain

and
about the love you see
in every single drop
of rain

falling
over the bloody streets
reorganizing

the possibility of something
great

out
of the melancholy, we once tried to
escape

This poem speaks to the relationship between pain and possibility; simply, through trying experiences, we emerge as something more, something, in many ways, transformed.

Voting is open through January 31 at Spillwords Press. I would be honored and forever grateful if you would vote. Thank you!

Photo by alegria2014, Pixabay

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, #author-of-the-year-nomination, #clarity, #confusion, #dreams, #escape, #known, #pain, #poem, #possibility, #realization, #spillwords-press, #transcendence, #trasnformation, #truth, #unknown

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on January 15, 2023
Tags: , , , confidant, , , hidden dreams, , , love's muse, , , , nurtured, pain, , , poetic response, , ,   

love’s muse

I stand on a pedestal of
ice, a cold wind blown from afar and
wide

escaping lips
of tender, and delicate
skin

a shift
in consciousness, and
in a history

dosed
with fields of understanding
a common feeling

coming home to roost
in hearts filled with love’s muse

Photo by 12019, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: shift, history, dose. Follow me on Twitter here.

Hidden Dreams, Published at MasticadoresIndia

I am pleased to announce that my poem, Hidden Dreams, is now available at MasticadoresIndia. Thank you to Terveen Gill, and the team at MasticadoresIndia for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.

Hidden Dreams

There are dreams
hidden
within buildings
towering upon hills

and beneath
the surface of the sky

a transparent beauty…

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

Here are two more poetic responses to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration.

Love’s Heights

love is like the tether of
a kite
grasping, and holding tight

the sun
into the heights
it flies

wonderment and awe
fill time, and trepidation does too
arise

a balance of mutually beneficial
allies

riding through the sky

Love’s Heights was inspired by the poem Love’s Trial by Dawn Minott.

Final Sigh

I sit in silence
and ponder the sky

the celestial bodies

linger
in the night
and

in my heart
where

I find the divine

ascending toward infinity, I realize
she

makes love possible in every shape and size
and in every eye

awaiting, am I

the faintest breath

and this, the final sigh

Final Sigh was inspired by the poem, Divine Flight by Layla Todd.

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, #confidant, #consciousness, #feelings, #hidden-dreams, #hope, #lonely, #loves-muse, #masticadoresindia, #nature, #naturespeaks, #nurtured, #pain, #perspective, #poem, #poetic-response, #publication, #reality

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on January 1, 2023
Tags: , closed, , danger, , , , , , , mountain tops, , , pain, , , , , weathered bones   

weathered bones

I skirt
and flirt
with dangerous territory
when thinking
of you–
you
remind me of all that was once
true

in life, in love, and in
the texture of weathered bones
drawn closed

like shutters upon my eyes
I

rely upon the truth
to open up
yet, also know the pain of the mountain
tops
call me home

where danger, and safety
resonate as equals

when you are close

Image by Counselling, Pixabay

Courage Resurrects, Published at MasticadoresUSA

I am honored to have my new poem, Courage Resurrects, published at MasticadoresUSA. Thank you Barbara Leonhard for supporting my work, and for all that you do

I would be honored if you would go here, and read my new poem. Thank you!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

May your 2023 be filled with peace, love, and joy, and may all of your dreams come true.

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, #closed, #connection, #danger, #fear, #healing, #heart, #loss, #love, #masticadoresusa, #mountain-tops, #nature, #open, #pain, #poem, #publication, #realization, #safety, #weathered-bones

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on December 11, 2022
Tags: , , coming home, , , , , , , , , pain, , , , , , , ,   

coming home

I cross cross the earth
in search of something fleeting
knowing

the unknown
is a place of peace

of mind, and of body

a souls destination
housed

within a fractured
system
of thoughts, and of feelings

coming home
a respite from the storm

sitting
in the center of silence
watching

things come, and go

attraction
to the poles of
opposites

the healing of ego
and of the soul’s companion
on the way home

Photo by me, Oregon Coast

Soul’s Sojourn, Published at MasticadoresIndia

I am always honored when a piece of my poetry is published at MasticadoresIndia and MasticadoresUSA. It’s such a joy, and this publication at MasticadoresIndia is no different. Thank you, Terveen, for always supporting my work. I am beyond grateful.

I would be honored if you would go here, and read my new poem.

If you’ve not yet submitted to either of these fine publications, I invite you to; it’s an amazing experience.

Last week, I visited Justin and Izzy in Portland, and we had a great time. We went to a boutique event supporting local small business, ate some wonderful food at Blossoming Lotus, and then went to the Portland Trailblazers game on Sunday evening. It was grand.

I wish you all a wonderful week; see you next weekend!

All my love and blessings,

Jeff

Jeff Flesch

Author, #1 Amazon New Release 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, #body, #coming-home, #ego, #feelings, #healing, #known, #life, #love, #mind, #nature, #pain, #peace, #poem, #respite, #silence, #soul, #storm, #thoughts, #unknown

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on November 27, 2022
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , oregon coast, pain, , , , , , ,   

cascading horizon

I wake up to you
you remind me of the brilliance
of afternoon sunsets
and

of morning dew
cascading

over a horizon filled
with pain, and with healing

a presence of colors, ambiguous
yet just enough
to

fill the space
left

by the absence of your touch

Photo by me, Oregon Coast

New Publications

I am pleased to announce that my poem, Misty Morning, is now available at MasticadoresIndia. Thank you to Terveen Gill, and the team at MasticadoresIndia for their continued support, and for publishing this piece. You can read the full poem here.

AND

I am also pleased to announce that my poem, Autumn Morning is now available at Spillwords Press. A big thank you to Dagmara K., and the whole team at Spillwords for publishing this piece, and for their continued support. You can read the full poem here.

I would be honored if you would read both poems, thank you!

Photo Gallery

My time at the coast is always precious to me. Early morning walks along the beach provide a space for deep reflection and contemplation. This year, I stayed at a small little motel right on the oceanfront. Amazing views from my room, and easy access to the beach, where walking for miles is possible. Beautiful, invigorating, and peaceful.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

All my love and blessings,

Jeff

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, #emotion, #feeling, #healing, #human-connection, #knowledge, #life, #loss, #love, #masticadoresindia, #nature, #oregon-coast, #pain, #poem, #resilience, #romance, #spillwords-press, #sunset, #travel, #understanding

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on November 3, 2022
Tags: , , , conteplation, , , , , , metamorphosis, , pain, , , , ,   

tears of gold

residing within
this skin
and the textiles of the night

a call from you
brings on a metamorphosis
in feeling, and in

contemplation

desiring more than is known
while

sitting at the center of the
unknown

I listen
to the wind
and take account of the person I’ve
been

and am becoming
harsh words leek from walls
and

crumble
until they fall

over a road, developed
out of tears of gold

Jeff Flesch

Author, #1 Amazon New Release 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

Photo by Joshgmit, Pixabay

#poetry, #becoming, #connection, #conteplation, #grief, #healing, #known, #life, #love, #metamorphosis, #nature, #pain, #poem, #realization, #tears, #transformation, #unknown