Morning Haiku and Waka – A Phoenix Arises – March 4, 2016

those vicious teeth
hidden behind happy smiles
and open doors
shuddering in armour
tend your bow for battle

and friends
walking in other valleys
remember you
how the days passed in silence
awaiting the dove’s coo

after the storm
even the clouds are silver
denying damage
what are a few fallen trees
what are crumbled houses

from the ashes
again the phoenix rises
in a pocket
ink flows from a stolen pen
upon hidden bits of paper

walk tall
no need for shame
life takes its toll

Recently our fellow writer and blogger and one of my dearest friends had a breakdown … she’s now beginning to arise from the ashes of this event and has shared with us the haiku and waka she wrote whilst in hospital.

It’s easy to hurt people in our virtual blogging world. Often we don’t even think of the people we connect with each day as real live flesh and blood people with their frailties, fears, hopes and tears. It’s too simple to lose sight of their reality. Sometimes narcissists reflect themselves in us, easy mirrors for them, preening themselves as mentors and admirers. Picking the scabs of wounds they know nothing about … because it makes them feel powerful. At other times people ingenuously bare their souls thinking they’re in a private safe world … when they’re under the eyes of absolutely everyone.

The world of Internet is actually just like the rest of the world with all its monsters and marvels. The only problem is, we sometimes don’t have our defences up not realizing that Internet is truly like being in a glass house world – we are vulnerable but think we’re safe because we’re sitting in a safe place and writing alone. We sometimes even think we’re just writing down our thoughts for ourselves. Then we push “publish” and potentially 7 billion people can walk through the meandering world that is our thoughts.

A while back my friend had a close encounter with a narcissist and like her, a few other women I’ve been in contact with through blog writing over the past couple of years, have been visited by him. She has had her problems being a survivor … he found an easy prey. He is not the reason she had a break-down but he was the person who first pushed her out of her balance, out of her wa or sense of harmony. I mention this only as a warning to others. We write, sometimes we bare our souls and so we are open to predators who look like admirers or mentors but who are only narcissists seeking to use us to reflect their personal vision of their would-be greatness.

Be safe – be cautious – be warned.

Bastet