Welcome to our one and only poetry column by Michele Wroblewski. Michele aims to show people that although painstaking to endure, challenges faced in life should be received in gratitude, for they produce the powerful product of a strong, independent, and self confident individual that is prepared to face the world.
“I spin my web to my own design, I scatter ashes left there; I try, to prove to myself I no longer fall. But I guess that’s what makes me human, the choice is my own. Standing tall is where I belong, and I knew that all along.”-Michele Wroblewski
Fear is a black hole; it swallows you and engulfs from beneath. It sucks you into its midst so deep, burying you in the ashes from past experiences that led to its development. It is the core of ultimate weakness and is intertwined with the passions of life. To be free from the suffocation of fear and its rebounding screams off of self created walls, one must fight. Fight through the war in which fear originates, in which the heart was torn. To put back together the pieces, a soldier must prepare for battle with oneself. The battle from within is the most challenging of all; for it does not require combat. It demands surrendering to one of the most overlooked simplicities of life: honesty.
It takes courage, strength, and bravery to be true to the thoughts that resound in one’s head. With acceptance comes self love. Love is the manifestation of the ultimate fear; years upon years of failure only add piles of ash, caked on top of the fortress built for self protection. A human is programmed for self preservation; to remove the debris of past failures and to slightly open a window of that fortress is the first step to experience what it is to live.
Humans have the capacity to love and care for each other; do not waste such a beautiful gift in life. A basic necessity of life is love; love cannot be forced. Love lights even the darkest times and blossoms the flowers already in one’s possession. It challenges and allows progression. Love is worth fighting for.
However, love is not an object; it cannot be bought, it cannot be forced, and although painful to admit, it is not ever temporary. Sure, it can be wished for, yearned for, desired; ultimately, love is created through trust, growth, renewal, forgiveness, acceptance, and vulnerability.
What people sometimes fail to realize is that in order to be loved, they must not only possess self love, but allow themselves to love others; this is one of the most difficult things in life, for it becomes the time for the fortress that took years upon years to build to come tumbling down. Once there is nothing left but mismatched pieces of cold hard rock, crumbled and left in scattered piles, you are finally ready to begin again, replacing the fortress of fear with a castle of the most beautiful thing in life: love.
So, repel superstition, obliterate lies, and never compromise; these are the keys to open the locks to life, because before we know it, time will pass us by. What has come about will all eventually die. So always try, with all your might, to not just get by, but fly. Be seen by all, take the fall, and then rise again; for nothing is truly over, until you are the one to will it to end.
The heart is simple, it knows the way. It will never be clouded by the thoughts we make; that is a promise that can forever be made.
Grant Me Serenity
In my arms,
Yours in mine
Our bodies linked, intertwined.
Subtle, yet powerful,
I know for a fact.
Trying not to count days,
Until we come again, face to face.
Trying to stay steady,
As my pulse increases;
My mind a haze.
No way out,
it wasn’t meant to have an easy escape.
There’s got to be more.
We just can’t ignore.
As I wait in haste, trying not to pass minutes,
But live as I may.
Apart, but together,
Separated, but linked
By the memories we made,
And by the dreams that we gave.
I’ll live in the moment,
Day to day.
Not wasting my stay,
But I must say
I’ll never forget,
How I feel when I’m with you;
Like a whirlwind,
You swept me up.
But now it’s time to get grounded,
Until the next gust erupts.
So, for all of you now
Who lost all your hope
You feel like you are trapped
On this broken road
You want to give up,
You just have to see.
You need to look up
And see what’s ahead
Your story of love
Is still unread.
Life is far from simple
It will always mask the way.
You cannot predict the future
By a card or a game;
It is full of complications
That are standing in the way.
So listen to me babble,
All the things I have to say.
Life is what you choose,
So be your stronger self today.
11/2012
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
What have you accepted in your life that took time, physically or mentally?
I have finally accepted one of the most longstanding, yet simple qualities of life: love. I have learned that in order to be loved, I must allow myself to love in return. It is always scary to put yourself in a position that could potentially lead to pain, but without risk, life would be pretty boring, now wouldn’t it?
What do you appreciate about yourself and within your life?
I appreciate my sense of self love, and most importantly my worth. I am fully aware of what I deserve, and I will not settle. Ever.
What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
One of my most rewarding achievements in life is my ability to have fun. I allow myself to express passion for life, and I hope to inspire others to do the same. Although some still remain in place, I find my walls disappearing one by one as time goes on. To have this level of trust in life is both frightening and rewarding. I only wish to continue to follow my dreams, and create a path in life that is unique, admirable, and most importantly, my own.
What is your not-so-perfect way? What imperfections and quirks create your Identity?
Recently, I have been undergoing many health issues, creating many limitations that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. Certain behaviors for me will never be the same, and I am still in the process of coming to acceptance with these changes. However, I do not resent; I only embrace these challenges as self growth. Although change has ensued itself in my life, it has only led me to be honest with myself and take better care of myself. I will never be perfect, but I will embrace the gifts I was blessed with.
How would you complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
Desire for life. If I am able to touch at least one person’s life, then my job is done.
