Day 25
Today, we'd like to challenge you to write a poem based on the "Proust Questionnaire," a set of questions drawn from Victorian-era parlor games, and adapted by modern interviewers. You could choose to answer the whole questionnaire, and then write a poem based on your answers, answer just a few, or just write a poem that's based on the questions.
I'm cheating today, as I have no time to stop and be creative, but I recall a poem I wrote 9 years ago, in which the me of that time answers a lot of those questions.
The poem is very raw and honest.
I'm happy to say that much of this is now truly healed.
Pain
Physical pain of bitter, constant cold, hunger,
slaps, canes and beatings
Fear, terror of these – fear of annihilation, fear of pain.
Fear of death, knives and guns
Unpredictable,
threatening,
lurking
– a Russian roulette..
Fear of emotional pain, emotional torture
Cos it's all my fault.
I am bad, wrong, a burden
I owe them,
I must repay and make it better
But I cannot –
I'm not good enough, big enough, strong enough or clever enough.
Lonely, empty, lost and afraid,
wandering, day-dreaming, alone.
Looking for comfort, for friendship, for warmth, safety, acceptance...
I need to escape, to hide, to somehow survive and get away -
but where to?
I focus on the beauty around me
Beauty of amazing, glorious mystery
Creation – so delicate, vulnerable, persistent and powerful -
A gift into my emptiness.
I love the world and all of creation.
I want to love and to serve
I seek to rescue those in pain
to come alongside, help and hold them.
I am blessed with friends, family and God -
without them I would be long since destroyed!
But I am still so desperately lonely, cold, empty, small and afraid.
I escaped the physical pain,
but the bruises and scars remain
Tender, whilst the taste and strength of fear still paralyse.
Daily I hear the echo of lies and labels
How long will I let them define who I am and who I can be?
Busyness fills some of the emptiness -
work, relationships, learning, doing
doing, doing...
Big Dawn can do some of this, she can wear this mask for a while,
As long as she hides and does as she's told.
Being hurts, so I kill the pain.
A bottle or two of Shiraz, a pint or 10 of ale -
it lessens the crippling fear as darkness falls,
it drowns the mocking voices,
dulls the heart pain,
chases the memories,
rebukes those stupid, dangerous tears
and lets me dance and live...
Or does it?
Was it me I was trying to kill?
Kill the 'good for nothing' Dawn?
They can't blame me if I'm dead.
They can't hurt me if I'm gone,
gone to where every tear is wiped away and pain is no more.
The anaesthetic has worn off now and I feel it all...
raw.
No wine to ease the pain of feeling,
no husband to distract and hold my body,
no work to busy my mind...
But I am holding to the promise:
'plans to prosper you, to give you hope and a future'*
I have support in place,
I have all I need -
now it is time to do the work!
I will employ Ms Haynes to help my little girl -
she will guide, hold and encourage both little D and mummy D
She can care for us and keep us safe
She can put her knowledge and experience to good use
She will draw on Wisdom, Truth and common sense..
Jesus, You were so sad as to death,
but You did the work.
You know how I feel -
And you love me despite my fear and mess.
I invite You again to enter the space I have made for you
to fill my emptiness
I ask You to heal my brokenness and pain
to give me 'beauty for ashes;
joy instead of mourning;
praise instead of heaviness' *
and to exchange the fear for the miraculous power of Your LOVE.
I choose to let go of fear, of the past, of darkness
I lay hold of forgiveness, healing and life
I welcome Grace and Mercy
and I choose to share them wherever you take me..
– 6 weeks without alcohol at age 50. (12/04/2015) * Jer. 29:11; Isaiah 61:3
split personality image by rusty mermaid
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