There’s something to be said for sustained hardship, persecution, maltreatment -call it what you will. It either makes you or breaks you. There doesn’t appear to be a straight-forward formula between hardship and the human resolve. Some crack under pressure, whilst others flounder. I liken tough times to living on thin ice. A metaphor for having no-one else to trust but yourself in a difficult situation. This poem was born from such musings.
There’s nothing like living on thin ice
ears- honed in to the sound of every crack
learning to control rhythm and breathnavigating life with tentative steps
…..all the while
learning to believe in yourself
©Vivian Zems
Real Toads- Tuesday Platform
November 13, 2018 at 12:55 pm
An insightful post.
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November 14, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Thank you 😊
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November 13, 2018 at 3:35 pm
My life, summed up in a poem. Thank you.
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November 14, 2018 at 6:37 pm
You’re welcome 😊
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November 13, 2018 at 4:40 pm
Oh, yes, the life is certainly like that — walking on thin ice works very well as the metaphor for taking steps ahead with care and resolve so that it doesn’t break. There is something personally empowering about it, about wielding control, even if it is mired in hardships. Very well penned! 🙂
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November 14, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Thanks Anmol!
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November 13, 2018 at 7:58 pm
Well written Vivian! the walking on thin ice and being careful moving to the empowerment at the end!
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November 14, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Thanks Toni!
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November 13, 2018 at 8:42 pm
The sense of moving across thin ice… it’s a scary thing which I’ve done a few times on skates… You can actually hear the pitch of a song from the ice when you move across it… when it cracks it’s too late
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November 14, 2018 at 6:35 pm
😊- so true
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November 14, 2018 at 2:13 am
Indeed it makes you stronger if it doesn’t crack… but a challenging way to live for any length of time.
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November 15, 2018 at 11:52 pm
Challenging indeed😊
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November 14, 2018 at 3:45 am
Keeping my balance as I walk across this elegant poem.
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November 14, 2018 at 6:33 pm
Lol! Thank you
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November 14, 2018 at 2:58 pm
As for myself.. I am never off the ice, so this rings true.
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November 14, 2018 at 6:34 pm
😊
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November 14, 2018 at 4:28 pm
If you want to be sure of the one you are with, be with yourself.
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November 14, 2018 at 6:34 pm
Absolutely!
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November 14, 2018 at 11:56 pm
take a deep breath and live… that means challenges and failures. But also the opposite. I’d rather have tried and failed then not try at all. One can have confidence and fail…
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November 15, 2018 at 12:01 am
Well said, Mrs Bednar 😊
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January 26, 2019 at 11:58 pm
I can so relate to this. Nicely crafted, Vivian. 🙂
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January 27, 2019 at 12:05 am
thank you 🙂
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