Having said all of that, it kills me to watch a family member be stuck in this way of life. I thought it was hard being on the inside. It's more painful being on the outside looking in. At least that's how i feel today.
I miss having a sister. I'm sick of the shell that encapsules who she once was. She has transformed into a terrible version of a podperson. She's there, but she's not there. I hate seeing her because i am reminded of how i once was, and i hate seeing her because i cannot make her unstuck. I cannot make her shed the victim cloak and join the land of the living.
I am resentful towards other family members who allow her to continue this way and to make excuses for her way of life. They give her pills and give her another reason to stay in the basement. They tell her she is sick and that the medication will save her. I know the medication will kill her, even long before she is dead. (But what do i know?)
I experience the pain of the ancient mortal seer Cassandra, who was blessed with gift of seeing into the future, but also given the curse of being disregarded (and frequently thought insane). While i stand on the shores, crying the forthcoming fall of Troy, those around me ignore my protests and discount my experience. I, too, envision, destruction. Destruction of a person that "just isn't there." Cassandra couldn't change anything. She was only a mortal. And, today, so am i.
The following poem was especially related to the prompt of Tomorrow by sunday scribblings.
My mortal stands on the clifftops
of a rocky shoreline
Watching the legions of armies coming from across the ocean
To spill their courage and lifeblood
An odd sense of dejavu befalls her
I have seen these soldiers die before
Crushed beneath a thousand arrows
Fallen silent in the entrails of the their mighty horses
I know the ending of this battle
she says tragically
The saltwater blows at her feet
Stinging her saturated skin
My mortal doesn't want to watch anymore
because she knows she won't be believed
Apathetic eyes will turn away
and go back to sharpening their swords
It must be hard seeing ahead the despair tomorrow
Despite the calm and silence of today.
9 comments:
Just beautiful..either part of your post would have made me choke a little..together..spell-binding..sometimes it is so hard to see..to know..Jae
it was hard to choose which way to go with this, and i thought of the loved one gone theme too. put a bit of that in mine, but the rest of it twisted another way. that's because i could not go through what you must have gone through to write a whole piece about a loved one gone. you are brave.
I had been becoming a pod person myself in recent weeks. Thanks for the reminder to break out.
this is such a powerful post. i have never been on the inside looking out, but i too have been on the outside looking in at someone struggling with this...and you're right, it is so unbelievably painful.
i love that you refer to her as "my mortal" in the poem. that alone shows how much you care for her...
i hope you both find some peace soon. xo
This is heartfelt, because in many ways I have been where you are. The feeling of helplessness to help is what hurt the most and it takes time to sort through the mixed feelings of being inadequate, of being useless and such. But, you must allow yourself to think, we each can only control our own lives, we can't live someone else's life for them. We can't dictate how they ought to live it either. We have free choice of what we each do with this gift of life. You obviously went through a whole bunch of things that have bought you to the place of understanding where you are today, but, that is your journey and it is all that you control. The only thing I can say that may be of little help to you is just carry on as you are. Help as and when you can, don't condemn nor judge. Just do what you can in and through and from love and you cannot bear any blame for anyone else's choices.
I feel this all so deeply.
Wonderful! Awesome!
I hope things change for your sis, and for you.
Thank you for your comparison of yourself to Cassandra. It was with a bit of a shock that I realized I too have this sort of gift and disregard in my family. I've gotten so used to it, though, that I no longer bother to share with them.
helpless I watched,
a little could I do,
wisdom,I want to give...
is far from her reach!!
really nice post....loved ur style of writing!
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