Tag Archives: sorrow

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 9, 2023
Tags: , , , , , , , , metaphors, , , , , , shadow self, sorrow, symbols, , ,   

Your Shadow and Mine

I’ve hiked
up and over mountains of love
and of pain

wandering
through fields of metaphors
and valleys of symbolism

exploring within
while watching
minimal expectations
arise again

a balance
of body and mind

and of the love manifesting
in between
your shadow and mine

©JeffFlesch.com
Image by MenielDM, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: hike, explore, minimal, balance. Follow me on Twitter here, and on Instagram here.

I wrote two poems with the word prompts from Twitter this week. Here is the second one.

Shadow’s Sown

I explore the depths
of the wind
and the space that lives in between
this moment and the next

a balance of learning
and of unlearning
arises again

when
minimal expectations
are drawn together
like a bow

representing
the shadow of words
left behind to sow

We are at that time of year in the Pacific Northwest when the hiking trails begin to dry out, and hiking becomes something that I will take part in each week. For those of you who’ve followed me for years, you know how much I love to be out in the forest and at the coast, two of my favorite places, regardless of where I am living and or visiting.

Here are some pics from my first short hike of the season.

For those of you celebrating Easter, Happy Easter, for those celebrating Ramadan, Ramadan Mubarak, and for all of you, may your day, and week be peaceful, and full of love.

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, #balance, #beauty, #expectations, #healing, #known, #life, #love, #metaphors, #nature, #pain, #poem, #reality, #realization, #shadow-self, #sorrow, #symbols, #truth, #unknown

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 2, 2023
Tags: , , , C.X Turner, emotional turbulence, hiding, , , , , mistake, , , , , , sorrow, , , 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 February 26, 2023
Tags: , , archeryintheUK, , calmness, depression, , , , , ingridwilson, , , , , , , nickreeves, , , perserverance, , , quietude, , , sorrow,   

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 December 3, 2022
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , sorrow, travels   

memories left

I walk, and watch
a time of trees
and of the silences that speaks
of mist

covered evenings
and of the memories
you left

by the gravestone
etched with the blood of
our love

a time of desperation
and of sorrow

dwelling in hearts
beating in sync with lost
time

and
with the cosmic qualities
of our lives

Photo by jplenio, Pixabay

We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook, by Kym Gordon Moore

I was elated to receive Kym Gordon Moore’s new book about a month ago, and though I’ve only read a few selected chapters thus far, I can write here that it is an amazing read. Here is an example:

I Am

“They say I am nothing

in my someone-ness

traverse into a flow

of the seen but not heard

nonexistent, divisible where liberty is not just

not considered worthy to speak,

or to be respected

just an invisible occupation of space,

you think that of me

yet my existence is more

than the archives of silence

I am.

Refusing to conform […]”

Absolutely stunning. If you’ve not yet picked up a copy of this amazing book, you can do so here.

Update on Me

It was great to catch up with many of you last night. I am doing very well, and enjoying the travels. There is so much beauty in the world, and it is a privilege, and a joy to get out and see it.

Today, I am off to see Justin, which will be a lot of fun. We will do some shopping, and farmer’s marketing on Sunday, and then we are going to see the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday night. I’ve not been to an event of this size in years, thus I’m filled with excitement and some anxiety. Very normal.

I look forward to catching up with all of you again next weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend, and upcoming 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, #contemplation, #cosmic, #despair, #experience, #healing, #introspection, #knowledge, #life, #love, #mist, #nature, #poem, #publications, #silence, #sorrow, #travels

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on October 3, 2022
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , scattered sakura, sorrow, ,   

#NatureSpeaks: 30 #Poems in 30 Days – Day 10: Scattered Sakura, by C.X. Turner

I find you
in the flower
and the water

in tears of late winter
early spring comes true
gently trickling

love
flows softly, intently
rippling between us

yet scattered
sakura petals…
drift with the current

ceasing to resist
integrating my present
with a smile

I find you, again

Image Credit, wallpapers13.com

Scattered Sakura was inspired by the poem Cherry Trees. You can read more of C.X. Turner’s poetry on Twitter here.

Submissions are still open for the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration. The submission details are located here.

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, #30-poems-in-30-days, #awareness, #flow, #found, #healing, #life, #loss, #love, #nature, #naturespeaks, #pain, #poem, #presence, #realization, #scattered-sakura, #sorrow, #tears, #water

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on September 13, 2022
Tags: , consciou, , , , , , , , , , , , , , sorrow   

ghosts linger

ghosts of the past
linger

in my memory

with a sky full of love, dried
bone, and blood

which come

by land and sea, this onslaught
always pervades me

as I watch
the trees sway back and forth
remembering

the truth about this paradoxical life course

Photo by 12019, Pixabay

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow has been #1 Amazon New Release for 8 of the psat 13 days, and on the top 20 Bestseller list much of this time.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for making this so.

Submissions are now open for the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration, and will remain open until September 23. The submission details are located here.

#poetry, #consciou, #contemplation, #healing, #heart, #introspection, #joy, #love, #mind, #nature, #pain, #past, #poem, #presence, #present, #sorrow

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on September 12, 2022
Tags: , , , building community, , , , , , , , sorrow   

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: New Reviews, and a 30 Poems in 30 Days Update

I’ve recently been reflecting more about how much of an honor it is to know that my book is in some of your homes, and in your hands. The feeling is one of deep gratitude and appreciation. A deep appreciation and gratitude for each of you. Thank you for always being here, for your support, and for your friendship.

I’ve also been reflecting upon the new reviews of #1 Amazon New Release Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, which I’ve seen come up on Amazon and Goodreads. They are amazing. Here are the newest reviews.

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: New Reviews

Paula Light, of Light Motifs II

5.0 out of 5 stars A magical journey…

Jeff’s poetry is like a walk with a friend at dawn. He weaves earthy images with heartfelt emotions to create a beautiful tapestry of wonder. From his first poem “Neutral Stances,” which admits to mysteries of the heart, we take a journey through love and loss–“Ocean and Sand”–breathing in the scents and sounds of the natural world, until we come to a place where we glimpse the radiance of hope. Jeff transforms a simple “Blueberry Tree” into memory’s healing power. From great tumult, “Blooming Tears,” comes great peace, “Mystical Rain.” Nestled within the sheltering trees and floral breezes, he transports us to a realm of magic–“The Sweetest Lullaby”– which is available to anyone who opens their eyes and heart to drink in nature’s lessons. “Moments Grasped” is the perfect finale. Illuminating!

Kathy L.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love and nature beautifully intertwined

Jeff Flesch’s poems use words to paint canvases in our minds. The theme of most of his poems deal with love and nature combined in a unique and engaging style that takes the reader on an enjoyable trek through the natural world around us, and the unseen one of our imaginations, where love resides in each leaf and blade of grass. Each poem is a testament to the eternality of nature, love, and not least of all, hope.

Sadje, of Keep it Alive

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book, which connects love to nature

I loved this book by Jeff Flesch. The theme of the book is so relatable as he links our love for each other to our love for the universe and the nature around us. A must buy for the lovers of nature and poetry.

Melisa Quigley, of M.A. Quigley, Writer, and Poet

5.0 out of 5 stars Nature Heals

A sensory and at times metaphoric look at life through the Poet’s eyes of the past and present using nature as a healer. Voyage with Jeff through Blackberry Brambles, Cascading Water, Cosmic Arts (my three favorites), and more. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Paula, Kathy, Sadje, and Melisa. I am touched and deeply honored by your beautiful words.

I will publish another post later this week with a few more beautiful reviews. Such an honor.

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration

I am overjoyed with the response thus far to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days collaborative invitation. Every poem I received has touched my heart.

If you’d like to be a part of this collaboration, submissions are currently open and will remain open through September 23. You can read the submission details here.

One last thing before we go.

About two months ago I was reading Off Center & Not Even, by Timothy Price, and there was this stunning image, which led the photos that day, you can see it here. I commented that I would love to have that image hanging on a wall in my house. Well, Tim responded with, what size would you like. I told him the size, and here is what it looks like hanging on my wall. I love it. Thank you again, Tim.

#1-amazon-new-release, #poetry, #30-poems-in-30-days, #building-community, #collaboration, #invitation, #love, #nature, #nature-speaks-of-love-and-sorrow, #poems, #reviews, #sorrow

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on September 1, 2022
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , sorrow   

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: Butterfly Love

I rise from the ashes of past
circumstances

with a ladle of love in my right hand
and butterflies alighting on my left

thinking about the trees dwelling within me
how they do always seem

lost in times of chaos, yet they
keep me warm

tangled emotions
cutting deep within, where love and pain
are perfect twins

and life is lived beneath the texture of your skin

Photo by tommyvideo, Pixabay

It’s been an amazing day, and I am celebrating with each of you by sharing Butterfly Love, from Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, which is #1 New Release in Poetry About Love, and is currently #8 overall in this same category. Now available in Paperback and Kindle Editions from Amazon.

Thank you for always being here, and for your unwavering support.

Have a blessed Friday!

#poetry, #ashes, #chaos, #emotions, #experiments-in-fiction, #feelings, #heart, #life, #love, #nature-speaks-of-love-and-sorrow, #order, #pain, #pleasure, #poem, #publication, #resilience, #sorrow

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on August 31, 2022
Tags: , , , , , , , , readings, , , , september 1, sorrow, zoom event   

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: A Reflection, Recap, and Release Day Tomorrow!

My Dearest Friends,

It’s been an amazing month, filled with anticipation, anxiety, and a ton of excitement! Engaging with all of you this month was as it always is, filled with amazing support, kindness, generosity, and love. 

I am filled with a ton of emotion as I type these words. Elation and excitement about tomorrow’s release of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, gratitude for each of you, and a deep and profound appreciation for our community.

I want to thank Ingrid Wilson, of Experiments in Fiction. Ingrid is an amazingly talented writer, editor, and publisher; without you, Ingrid, I would not be here today. Thank you.

I also want to thank each of the reviewers for the time they put into their advanced reviews. These reviews touched my heart, and I am eternally grateful to each of you. Thank you, Cindy, Terveen, Gabriela, and Jaya. Your reviews mean the world to me.

I am honored to be here, to share my heart and mind with you, and to continue to do so each and every day.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being here, and for being the most amazing friends.

With all my love and blessings.

Jeff

Recap

As we are now less than 24 hours away from the release of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, I wanted to take a moment, and recap the readings and the reviews we’ve listened to, and read this month, and provide the link to the recent Zoom event recording. Here we go.

Readings

As you all know reading poetry is new to me, and, while this is true, I had a wonderful time creating these poetry readings. So much fun, in fact, I will create more of these poetry readings in the future. Here are this months readings from Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow.

Reviews

As I’ve mentioned each of these reviews touched my heart. I cannot thank each of these wonderfully talented writes and friends enough for taking the time to read and review Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow. If you missed these beautiful reviews, they are linked below.

Zoom Event Recording

The Special Zoom Event this past Sunday was a blast. Thank you to everyone that was able to make it. I enjoyed seeing each of you, and participating in the lively discussion you created. So much fun! If you were unable to attend, the recording is below.

Release Day, Tomorrow!

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow will be available tomorrow, September 1, and will be available on Amazon in both Paperback and Kindle editions.

I am so excited, and hope you are too!

#poetry, #hope, #joy, #love, #nature, #nature-speaks-of-love-and-sorrow, #poems, #publication, #readings, #reflections, #release-date, #reviews, #september-1, #sorrow, #zoom-event

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on August 1, 2022
Tags: , debut, , , , , , , , , sorrow,   

Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, Cover Reveal, and Release Date!

It gives me great joy to share with all of you the title and cover of my debut poetry book, Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow. Compiling the book was a labor of love, which took almost a year to complete.

As I was contemplating the poems, which eventually ended up in Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, I remember collecting intro lines to poems on scraps of paper as I worked, or was out in the community, and most of them made their way into the book.

I enjoyed every moment of contemplating and writing this book.

A Reminiscencne

As a youth, I loved to write. I remember writing to the local paper once about an issue in the community, and the letter made it into the local paper. A transformational moment for me.

Though this was a transformational moment for me, it took many more years before writing would show up again, first as a nontraditional student at University, and then in the blogosphere.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the possibility of publishing a poetry book. Oh, how life changes, iterates, and keeps us on our toes. A blessing always.

Upcoming Activities

This month there are some activities scheduled to celebrate the upcoming release of my book, the first of which are poetry readings.

Over the next 4 Mondays, I will select and read one poem from Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, and post the readings to my blog and Twitter, beginning on August 8 at 6 am PT (USA).

There are also a few surprises in store, as we move toward the September 1 Release Date. I will let you all know about these activities, as we get closer to the date of their occurrence.

Thank You

For now, I want to acknowledge and thank each of you.

I know in my heart that Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow is now a reality because of your love, support, and friendship. Words cannot properly convey how much you all mean to me, so I will simply say, thank you, and I appreciate you.

I also want to thank the best publisher and editor in the world, Ingrid Wilson, of Experiments in Fiction. Ingrid took this book into her heart and worked hard to create a book that we are both proud of.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming poetry readings and the other surprises that are forthcoming.

All my love and blessings on a splendid week.

#cover-reveal, #debut, #experiments-in-fiction, #life, #love, #nature, #nature-speaks-of-love-and-sorrow, #poems, #publication, #release-date, #sorrow, #writing