http://slow.writerscafe.org/LeslieB10 The original writings of author LeslieNoel en-us Copyright 2026 WritersCafe.org 1776050706 WritersCafe.org RSS Generator 15 Nature HealingPoems,Green,Nature,Air.Life isn’t always fair.Turn to birds, trees, and bees-Plentiful are gifts like these. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120578/ SwirlingI let the feeling swirl and eddy,Like the great waves of the ocean.Watch them as they tumble in motion,Thrown around with the waves-My emotions cave. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120576/ WearyI feel bedraggled, weary, and sad.This process inside me has made me incredibly mad.I pull myself up by my very bootstraps.I wish my grief had a map-A curving line that points right through,Instead of these pitfalls I tumble into. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120575/ Ocean TideI’m being pulled beneath the shady ocean tide,And this is where I will resideUntil this grief storm passes.She comes in wavesAs wide as the eyes can see.Accept that I’m grief-stricken,Come up for a breath-God will take care of the rest. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120574/ Live in a GardenI want to sit and feel the sun on my face,Live in the garden as a peony,Float on the air as a dandelion seed,Spit by the wind over ponds and rivers.The thought of this sends a solitary shiver down my spine.I want to hear the call of the birds,Their song soft and unintrusive,Like a so.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120442/ VictimI went through narcissistic abuse.Just saying those words makes me cringe;My teeth sweat.There are better things to come yet-Right?Abuse, victim-The words are caught in my throat,And I am just as shocked as I was the day the mask came off.When will the shock and dismay go away?Someday-But not .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120441/ BreathingEach step takes me farther from my abuser.Each millisecond on the clock that ticks, I breathe-And then I breathe in again.When memories assault my traumatized brain,I go to Walmart; I breathe.Walks to the park-I  breathe.Drive down the street- I breathe.I’ll breathe until the pai.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120440/ Narcissistic Addiction I want to move on, but, grief has me in a choke-holdWrapped by an icy thread of addictionI am addicted to someone I didn’t knowA mirror reflection of my soul http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120438/ I’m StuckI’m stuck-But in between what?A rock and a hard place.My mind is a mess,What a disgraceThat everything had to end in this manner.I wish I could’ve stayed,But everything is better this way-So they say.Why do I feel so horrible?My mood rotten and deplorable,Because I am stuc.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120437/ CrowdI feel wrong because I cannot handle the crowd,Noises that are too loudSwarm inside my head,Filling me with an obnoxious dread. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120380/ Supreme DishI have found no respite or comfort for my wounds of late.It is these feelings that grate at my soul-little bits flaking off,as if I am a wedge of cheese being filed down for some side dish:a salad, a lasagna.Someone will eat it, much like how the devilis preparing my soul for his supreme.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120379/ Sounding BoardWalking sounding board-flesh, bone, big earsto listen to all your fears.Round enough to catch your tears.I am my own person, or so I think;I am the missing link,the liaison between family members,delivering messages or taking them in.Sometimes I feellike I just can’t win. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3120377/ Purpose feels like a giftSitting unwrapped beneath the Christmas tree.The best part is that it’s free-Something we are innately born with.It rests tucked inside our bones and blood vessels.We know it’s there,Even if it can’t be seen.Our minds gently touch the corners of it,Poking a.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119919/ I pinball from one source of love to the next.It never stops for a restIn any crevice.The lights are deceiving-They go out as soon as they come on,Flinging my heart to another temporary sourceOf life and love. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119918/ The Door I’d like to walk through the door to some greener pasture,Escape my childhood room that has held me captive.The key is inside me, nestled among my heart and lungs-I swallowed it long ago.Can I cough it up now?Extract it ever so gently from between my lips?Can I just walk over and.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119917/ Bubble BathBubble gum�"scented waterSlips about the tub,Washes over my exposed toes.A chocolate-scented candleWafts through the air,Fills my noseAnd inspires me with poetry and prose. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119567/ I sit and wait.This is the part I hate.The hands of the clockCan f**k right off. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119564/ AwkwardI feel so awkwardIn the seat I sit.What do I say?How do I fit?I listen to the peaksAnd the lulls of the voices.What exactly are my choices?What can I say?What do I doTo have a conversation with you?When there is nothing we share,It is not that I don’t care.The wear and tear of social ru.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119562/ AnxietyAnxiety bunches up and surgesto my brain,races to my arteriesand veins.I choke on it like a gumball.Is this going to lead to my fall?I try to breathe,but it’s like inhaling acrid smoke.I chokeon the disgusting fumes,thick and gray.I need this hell to end today,but to my dismayit continu.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119506/ On Duty GhostThe ghost roams the stairs of The Strand,swinging his ethereal flashlight in hand,making his nightly rounds,enjoying the soundsof the band.He walks the halls,making sure all is well within its walls.Stucco and stone,he walks aloneto preserve the tonefrom time that has gone by,preserving.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119505/ Get OutMy butt is firmly planted to the seat.Get up.Get out.It’s on repeat.Around and around my fear does run.Ain’t anxiety lots of fun?Breathe in,breathe out-I’ve lost countof breaths taken,swears said.I cannot standthe swelling dread.Calm the tidal wave inside my head.Break throu.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119504/ SnowfallSnow glistens on its way downAs it floats through the night sky,Softly pelting my windshield.Gently, the wipers whip it away,But more comes down to replace itQuicker than I can blink my eyes.The snow continues to fly.It’s like being in a personal snow globe,Except nature shakes it for .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119296/ Poemless WorldWhen a poem is lostIn the frantic wood,It is bare now where I stood-Colorless and white where once it was green.What does this poemless life mean?It’s lost in the wilds of my mind.When will it ever find me?  http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119295/ DisabilityDisability, you eat me alive.How can I even contrive to set up my future?To support my dreams-I’m starting to see some themesPlaying over and over again.I just want this hell to end.I can no longer fendOff the depression that snaps at my heelsLike a pissed-off piranha. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119293/ FenceI’m living life straddling a fence.One side, plush and green.The other, dusty and barren.Split in half,I lean toward the most alluring side,but my trousers get caught on the fence.Tough strings become tangled in the wood splinters-stuckuntil the next gust of wind releases meback onto the .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119164/ The Whisper of NowThe future used to scream into my earwith her boisterous, raspy voice.Raucous calls bounced off my inner earand circled around my eardrum,reverberating for days,until Now slammed home its message.His lesson repeated for years.Now’s voice was quieter than Future’s,partly.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119163/ You AskYou can ask for a favor or request-that’s freedom of speech.But I can say no-that’s my power.And yet, what if it causes a breachin trusting me,opens a rift in the boat we built?Will we continue to float?I hope. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119162/ People PleaserMy name is People Pleaser.I give and giveuntil I trample my own boundary.It’s a quandary. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119061/ Free FallingI took a dive off the building-a company called Life.The wind whips nonchalantly past my faceas I plummet past the windows.If I reach out, then I can just about touch them,but I am hurtling too fast.I imagine that they are cold,devoid of hope or inspiration.I can see a reflection in that.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119059/ GarbageI’m tired inside my bones.My cartilage drags down the hallwayas I walk.I don’t even have the energy to talk.My marrow screams using a tiny voicethat only my eardrums can hear:Sleep.Rest.Put down all of the baggage.Toss it into the garbage.Flush.Stuff.Rush itout of your life. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3119057/ I hear all of the announcements:“I’m pregnant,”“There’s a baby on the way.”I grit my teeth and bear it.“I’m so happy for you,” I say-but honestly, I’m not.I’m angry and jealous.This anger is hellish.Inside me dwells the green-eyed mon.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3118864/ My brain is shot.This is notwhere I thoughtmy brain would be tonight.I expected the poetry to flow,but nope�"my brain is slow.It says no to creativity.Hello, mind-remember me?Your partner in crime.Isn’t it time?Consider this a signto write, paint, color, or draw. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3118863/ Hera stomps across the land,his wooden staff firmly in hand.He keeps an eye out as the wild things grow;the plants are there for him to sew.Being a steward is what he does best,never stopping to take a rest.Flowers and animals fall under his spell,safely dwelling in Hera’s dell. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3118862/ Halloween NightStep outside into the dark of night.Be wary now of Halloween fright.Ghosts and goblins haunt around;the devil is nowhere to be found,and yet his influence can still be feltin tricks that are often dealton All Hallows’ Eve.Once the night has passed,we can once again breathe-we&rs.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3106723/ The Color of BetrayalBetrayal comes in many colors-dark and repelling,dripping with regret and fear.A tinge of blood red,a hint of yellow for cowardice.I watch you there, turning your back.Your heart is rich with black-treachery.At least look into my eyesas my pupils dilate with rage,and yet you can.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3106722/ BetrayedI gave you all that I had for years.I gave you my blood, sweat, and tears.How is it that my fears came true?I trusted you. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3106721/ It’s stupid how often I neglect writing.When I don’t write, I feel the regret.It’s oxygenand medicinerolled into one.Doing it adds a measure of fun.Words are like sugar,sweet in my mind.When I engage,I often findthat I’m much more balanced,well-rounded, and free,searching for.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3099899/ I’m not really sure how I feel about you.You’re slimy and quick,an ugly view,shrouded in a pleasanter hue.Creative and bright,a pleasant find.Turn on the lights,and it darkens in time.Do you want me to serve the agenda you set?Manipulating and twisting,but you haven’t won me yet.I .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3099847/ Lizard BrainShe sat at the desk,hands busy with silent tasks.Her body still,but the inner workings of her mindjumped and jittered aboutlike pure electricity buzzing through wires.She was calm, and yet it was a mask she woreto convince herself that she was unafraid.Was she terrified of the strangers .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3099810/ I cry out and reach for a hand-A purchase,To have and to hold,To protect and cherish me.But instead, I find darkness.I wrap my arms around itAnd pull it close.It wraps itself around me-Like a blade enclosed in a sheath,A pea in a shell,Imprisoned. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3094585/ God, take my pain and give it a home.Inside me it swells and makes me moan.It’s fiery and crackles,And burns with desire-It just continues to rise even higher.It blackens my lungs, my liver, my heart;So much time has passed since the start.My body, now a corpse, is heading to the grave-It&rsqu.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3094584/ I wish I could write a poem,But my emotions are blanched-Faded from the upheaval around me.It’s sad at first glance.I know the cause will pass soon,But until then, I’m stuck in the gloom.As feelings of doom swirl through my brain,My body reacts with lethargy and pain.So I batten down my .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/3094583/ ImprisonedI cry out and reach for a hand-a purchase,to have and hold,protect and cherish me.But instead, I find darkness.I wrap my arms around itand pull it close.It wraps itself around me,like a blade enclosed in a sheath,a pea in a shell-imprisoned. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2960946/ DifferentI know that I am different.It’s subtle,almost minute,slightly undetectable-but it is there.A kernelthat I can just touchwith the edges of my sanity.And I find its presence distressing,ever compressing on my mind,infiltrating the realitythat I’ve known for so long.I must explore,.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2960945/ The DinWhat does the sound mean?Voices belonging to souls,souls with stories-likes, dislikes,strengths, weaknesses.Listen to the din:snippets of phrases,and words belying secrets otherwiseunknown,untold,until the moment when it is sharedamongst the privacy on the dock.And my sensitive earspick it up.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2960942/ Mountain BackdropHughes of bluestower above the water,painting a mountain backdrop.A light kiss of colorand generous splotches of deepening shadesreach like fingers toward the water’s edge.Blue-gray waves mix and interminglewith the kaleidoscopic scenery. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2960941/ I Lost YouI turn to you,and you disappear.There are no more tears to leak,but I do fearthat I have lost you with the years. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2960745/ FreezeI cannot break free of this eternal freeze,inside my mind.I’ve come to findthat loneliness is my dearest companion.She sits beside me as roaring silence floods my ears.I cannot conceal the tearsthat flood my face.My life is a giant disgrace. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2960743/ TeardropYou watch as tears run down my face;they leave wet tracks.My eyes meet yours,and all that stares backat me is a scowl.These are my loneliest moments-your eyes hollow,and your lips aren’t caring.I wish you’d ceasethe mean-mug staring. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2959793/ StrangerI look across the tableat a face I once knew.The hair is the same,and so are the eyes-but, much to my surprise,they are hidden in disguise.Instead, there I see contempt;I’m seen as the enemyto the fullest extent. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/LeslieB10/2959788/