Cyphers

 

There is nothing to be said, and little can be done

to change what is and what has been and what we have become.

Hopes and dreams get tangled in a web of make-believe

ever closer to a place where we cannot retrieve.

Did we ever have a chance? How would we even know?

Your meager trail of breadcrumbs is now buried in the snow

And all that was, and all that is, and all that’s meant to be

fade now with morning light into obscurity. 

 

© Ginny Brannan 2023

Image: C. Parant Appetite for Photos.blogspot.com 

Used with expressed written permission.

True “Confess” ions

 

So it is with trepidation that I’d share a revelation,

and iterate this compilation without further hesitation.

I think it’s best that first I mention the very crux of my intention.

The aforementioned situation fills my heart with trepidation

where even smallest repercussion bears further study and discussion;

plus, my fear of deep rejection causes pause without exception..

Indeed, what would be your perception of one so steeped in imperfection?

And would it lead to misconception, a certain lack of comprehension

some unforeseen delineation, an unexpected confrontation

where even deeper explanation causes further fragmentation?

Somewhere in our evolution,  we’ve all faced some persecution

and only with this bold admission might seek forgiveness through attrition

So after much consideration, I must conclude this attestation

coming to the realization that there can be no revelation—

without further hesitation, I  acquiesce this dissertation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  And should this leave a bad impression,  that was never my intention!

 

© Ginny Brannan 2023

Artwork: The Confession 1838 by Giuseppe Molteni

 

IF I only had a ....

 

 

…And now I am the ‘Tin Man’

a rusting carapace of my former self

        seeking redemption

through a love that eludes me

  as time ticks ever forward  

        inside the hollows

        of this empty shell.

 

© Ginny Brannan 2023

**Image borrowed from and full credit given to the artwork of Greg Hildebrandt. He and his twin brother, Tim,  are well-known artists in the fantasy art world, . Their illustrations have illuminated The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Favorite Fairy Tales, and the original Star Wars poster, to name a sampling of their work.  

Demons in Plain Sight

We don’t admit our weaknesses to strangers

they’re not the type of things that we’d confess—

the ghosts and phantoms lingering from childhood

the far and distant memories repressed.

 

We cannot see the ways such things affect us

stuck here within the confines of our shells,

nor all the pain that we inflict on others

while we are so caught up inside ourselves.

 

Like a vampire promising conversion,

seductively they lure us in their ruse—

convincing that we’re special and we’re different

holding sway while they pervert the truth.

 

Some are strong enough to fight the hunger,

to face head-on the dark side of their soul

while others ruminate and stew in silence

till like the snake, their demons swallow whole.

 

How sad for those who can’t read the deception,

who do not recognize till it’s too late…

their loved ones watch them drown in hurt and anger

till all that’s left before them is a stranger–

martyred by the fate that they create..

 

© Ginny Brannan 2023

Broken Places

 

A tangible intangible, grief…

a culmination of so many emotions–

pain, anger, sadness, relief;

all things we cannot see, but sure as hell feel.

It’s a process of coming to terms

with a loss unexpected, out of the blue;

or perhaps through a course

of days, months, or years, where 

all of our tears are spent, not in a singular event,  

but on the road that brought us here.

We are the summation of all that we do,

 and a product of all who touch our lives.

Our superpower comes from within us,

and our fortitude from the diversity that we face.

The skin of our scars is tough for a reason:

for we are ever stronger in all the ‘broken’ places.

© Ginny Brannan 2023

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. Every break is unique and instead of repairing an item like new, the 400-year-old technique actually highlights the "scars" as a part of the design. Using this as a metaphor for healing ourselves teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing things that have broken, we actually create something more unique, beautiful and resilient.

                                                                   ~Candace Kumai