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lorinda submitted a contest entry to
Write a letter to the world sharing one way your life is blossoming. 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Burst
New years are meant for starting over
Beginning clean and new
Unless you’re of the queer persuasion
And your government’s against you
Then blossoming becomes a struggle
As you strain simply to bloom,
Crushed under heels of persecution
Swept under rug by bigoted broom
The seeds we sow in ‘25
Require roots down deep, robust
If we’re to thrive and survive,
Under a dictator we can’t trust
To blossom sounds lovely indeed
But queer friends we must burst,
Break barriers and far exceed
Hoping for best, planning for worst89%
Voting is open!
Voting ends July 21, 2025 11:59pm
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Don’t forget to include your ProWritingAid style score!
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Hi Lauren, Sorry, I forgot about this requirement. For my poem BURST it was 89%.
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Lorinda, you are right that a new year is typically meant for starting over, and I hate that you feel as though your petals are being crushed by the current environment. I hope that you are able to find peace and blossom despite any factors that work against you. Thank you for sharing your experience!
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lorinda submitted a contest entry to
What would the old version or you say to the new version of you? 2 months, 3 weeks ago
If I Warned Me
If I Warned Me
If I warn of heartbreak
What risks will I take?
If I warn of vulnerability,
I’ll then conceal what others see.
If I warn of uncertainty,
Will I, too timid, ever be?
I’ll choose to live in mystery
Betwixt the fiery sparks that flee
In the rhythm of life’s spontaneity
Sans warnings from the likes of me100%
Voting starts July 2, 2025 12:00am
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Well said, if we knew all the troubles ahead and avoid them, would that be living at all?
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Exactly. I often contemplate this idea.
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I really like this take on the contest. If your past self knew what to expect and knew what to avoid, you wouldn’t be as wise as you are today. The knowledge you have now has been acquired through past hardships, and you wouldn’t be the same without them! Great work ☻
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malakkc submitted a contest entry to
Write a love letter to something (not someone) that you love 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Addiction
Addiction
I’m an addict
And I know it!I revere two of the three Cs:
Coffee, candy, and cigarettes.I love my coffee alone with my contemplation
Of life, likes, posts, news, like a great commotion,Flitting from one to the next trying to see
What’s best before I rest to be free.Posts galore and replies of mine
Make my day, as the taste of CoffeeFeels like a sinful pleasure.
With my dark drink, I bite into chocolate,And drift into a coma at heaven’s gate.
I savor the sweetness along the strengthOf body of the coffee and it’s bitterness.
Life with the morning rituals
Cake, candy, chocolate, coffee and sweetsIs like life without a hero like Ferrero,
Or Cadbury, Mars, KitKat, and Aero!Raising the bar in a day filled
With noise, poised to litter the mindWith fear, worry, and being drear!
So my habitual start is set in stone:Coffee, contemplation, quiet that have
A lead to social media, news, where I refuseTo succumb to its dadarkness
That needs to twist your morning addictionsInto a depressive, foggy darkness.
Let your coffee’s wisdom fill
Your empty cup with hope that willReject solidifying into despair,
But reaches in your depths to repair.
©️ Malak kalmoni chehab ©️Voting is closed
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Malak, I’m glad that your vices include coffee and candy but not cigarettes. That one has to be the worst of the three, right? If we really stop and think about it, everyone is addicted to something. At least being addicted to coffee and candy will bring joy to your life! Thank you for sharing your experience.
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Very true, the only problem with coffee addiction it causes reflux and at some point, like everything else, you need to stop drinking it! 😞
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lorinda submitted a contest entry to
Write a love letter to something (not someone) that you love 4 months, 2 weeks ago
I Love You, Coffee
Your perky aroma pops me out of bed
Preventing stabby headaches in my headI get to work each day on time
Before the late bell dares to chimeAnd with your spunky caffeine kick
I rarely, if ever, call in sickOn days my nerves are worn and frail
You’re there to comfort without failHot, roasted beans all warm and toasty
Reminding me I love you the mostyVoting is closed
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Lorinda, coffee is, in my opinion, one of the great wonders of the world! Without coffee, mornings would go from being mildly unpleasant to purely torturous. Need a favor? Bring someone a coffee. Running late? The boss won’t care if you come in carrying liquid gold. Thank you for sharing your love!
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hahahaha!!! Right?! This I feel is a universal love language. thank you for your comment 🙂
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lorinda submitted a contest entry to
Write a letter to your fear (Sponsored by ProWritingAid) 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Goodbye, Fear
Dear Fear,
You creep in shadows, whispering low, a voice warning me not to show the love I hold, the truth I bear, instead to seek healing in God’s prayer.
You paint the world in black and white, warning me to hide and not to fight. You say the way I love’s not right. That I’m standing in darkness instead of light.
But Fear, I see your twisted game; you thrive on silence and grow from shame. You feed on doubt and plant despair, yet I refuse to live there.
For love is love, and I will be free. No hate can steal my soul from me. I won’t shrink back or hide in disguise. Rather, I’ll meet the world with open eyes.
So go ahead, lurk and loom, for I’ll fill the dark with light and I’ll bloom. I will face your storm with strength and a love so fiercely bold and true that not even you can break through.
Goodbye, Fear, you’ve lost today. I choose to love. I choose to stay.
Sincerely,
Me.
Style Score: 100Voting is closed
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Great job! Fear is pesky and can linger forever if we let it. I am glad that you have recognized its value and place in your life! You are stronger than it!!
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Thank you for the comment!
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malakkc submitted a contest entry to
Write a letter to your fear (Sponsored by ProWritingAid) 4 months, 4 weeks ago
FEAR, BREATHE, THINK, ACT
FEAR
Fear: fast heart beats feasting feverishly
Every time fear ramps serotonin quickly,
Amply avid in avoiding pain, fastidious in
Remaining alive to tell the tale of FEAR.
FEARBREATHE …
Barely breathing, the brain astoundingly
Reveals its respiratory ease, by reviewing
Every fear, entering the data, waiting
Another moment for analysis, wading,
Through the morass of a lack of logic,
Hearing only haloed heartbeats, heaving.
Eternally aware of time flowing: BREATHE.
BREATHE ..THINK …
Through and push through thinking
Halves my reasoning, homing only on survival
Instead of clarity of thought,
Never receiving the memo of
Knowing that ‘fight or flight’ is all in a knot. THINK.
THINK …ACT …
Actively, arduously permitting action that
Covers slippery seconds of being frozen, while
Time reveals your success, failure, and your missing fervor.
ACT …©️Malak kalmoni chehab ©️
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Malak, I really liked how you described this process. Fear can make us overanalyze the simplest situations. It can be difficult to overcome it, especially when you are spiraling and struggling to understand how your body is truly reacting to situations when you are making decisions based on an emotion that controls you. I am glad you took back…read more
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Thank you for enjoying and connecting to my writing, it empowers me to delve deeper into issues that are present in our societies
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Lauren Brill shared a letter in the
Poetry group 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Forgotten
Forgotten in the hidden emotions I feel,
Behind the weed and underneath the alcohol,SEEN too much,
HEARD too much,
KNOW TOO MUCH
Forgot to SPEAK UP
Because I didn’t know any better
And because you said I didn’t need any help,So I’m just another “mad black woman” who can do bad all by myself because you said
black people don’t need therapy
I listened
I believed you but I forgot to believe me
I was lost because I forgot I was innocentSubscribe  or  log in to reply
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 6 months ago
This post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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malakkc submitted a contest entry to
Write a poem or letter about your best memory of 2024 6 months ago
Meetings
My children have met someone
That might become their
Partner, a life partner,
Whose aim is to keep both, never alone,To start a family of their own.
Dealing with advice, first disagreement,
First time meeting anxiety lent
Some insight into meetings flownOff their trajectory into a NO
While others have progressed
For months, weeks, days, dressed
In meeting spaces trying to leave NOLeaf, question unanswered before
Coming face to face, as they brace
For acceptance, liking, passion, in a pace
That drives me insane for the coreIs to build a family within ours.
How do I proceed, as the mother?
How do I let go without a bother?
How do I progress when theirsIs a meeting of minds and hearts?
How do I accept not spoiling
Them whenever I want, coiling
My fear into a bow that never restsFor you never know if their
Choice will truly be happy or queer.©️ Malak kalmoni chehab ©️
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Malak, watching our children grow up is one of the greatest joys that parents will ever experience. No one talks about how hard it is to let them go, though. A mother vows to protect her children for their entire lives, but how can she do that when the children have lives of their own? I’m sure that you will continue to be a safe place for your…read more
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Yes, it’s the hardest thing in the world, at least for me, I keep crying when I talk to their fiancé’s!
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maintain4life submitted a contest entry to
Write a thank-you letter or poem to yourself 6 months, 2 weeks ago
This post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 6 months, 3 weeks ago
This post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months ago
This post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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roses shared a letter in the
Poetry group 7 months, 1 weeks ago
INFJ
The rarest personality trait in the U.S. making up 1-3% of the population
Although very cool, it gets hard to find those who you can truly relate to or be open with
The quote says, “with great power comes great responsibility,” so off days must bloom even when I feel off
Quickly collecting myself like “where is my super suit?”
I have incredible things to do
My superpower sports a cape of compassion like a brand-new bowtie
But they can’t see me when I graze the clouds
Because their mirror gets ignored for parts, they wish to see for themselves in everyone else
Judgement then gets passed at a surface level, but my mind is only comfortable in the sky
My secret identity is me, myself, and I
But they never see passion behind the why
I’m a pretty good judge of character after about three goodbyes
I can dissect the parts of your heart that need surgery, the parts that make you cry
I can feel the shift in your breathing from across the room
I can tell your mood based on the way you’re walking or talking
I can stop the bleeding with my words of wisdom
Words that have traveled around the world and seen multiple lives
Lives that have ended early, lives that couldn’t find purpose, lives that found love and happiness, lives that weren’t treated fairly, lives that only saw hell or some lucky few only heaven knew
All these residences a hundred lifetimes could never see
My intuition breathes on the daily
It’s exhausting but I’ll never get tired of helping others
I’m an empath so my path encompasses the needs of others, I’m still learning to acknowledge my own
I’m observant on a microscopic level so it feels as if I can predict the future when I just notice the behavior patterns most glance over
The keys are in the details, but no one reads between the lines, people only want the cliff notes
Well, pull out your pen, I’m going to bring success to you
1. Love others more than yourself and true love will be attracted to you, you won’t have to keep searching for it only to find pain
2. Gratitude is the only peace that last longer than self-care or a vacation, stop stressing over the things you can’t control
3. Fear and Comparison are cousins that shouldn’t be in your family tree, they are poisoning your roots; so, have a conversation with the two and watch how relatable the confidence you thought you never knew begins to bloom
p.s. my superpower is learning to be a better version of me…Subscribe  or  log in to reply
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I truly love the several metaphors in this piece. One of them being “. Gratitude is the only peace that last longer than self-care or a vacation, stop stressing over the things you can’t control” I have to remind myself daily to not stress over things that I can not control and I honestly find my outcome of my situation turning out to be better t…read more
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Yes, thank you for sharing your time in this moment of poetry with me. Keep striving for great things and a greater mindset will senselessly become the norm. And one day you’ll notice the growth and appreciate the hard times. The hurdles are only high when you need to jump, the fall is only scary when you don’t practice how to fail, and winning…read more
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This is amazing. I felt so connected while reading.” I’m a pretty good judge of character after about three goodbyes
I can dissect the parts of your heart that need surgery, the parts that make you cry” 🌹🔥Write me back Subscribe  or  log in to reply
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Thank you, don’t cry 🥹 then I will lol
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Nope! I really enjoy all your writings 😊🌹 no tears! (Yet) lol
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malakkc shared a letter in the
Current Events group 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Enough
Art, visual art, phography, AI creations
Are all being used to show support
For the massacres of a peoples
Whose homes destruct
Under the sieges
Of bombs,
Drones,
Death,
At,
At the
Hand of
Oppressors,
Colonizers, thieves,
Manipulators, power hungry
For what’s not theirs to have,
But their backing, support permits
Them what no other’s assent mobilizes.
Out of the ruins
An angel rises,
Soars freely,
Peacefully seeking
The innocent souls
Whose lives were
Violently stripped
Cries of injustice
Surge with each
Blast, that’s a death
Knell on family trees.
How do we explain
This terror to babes?
Whose losses are
Insurmountable in oscillation between extremes:
Trauma, loss, violence they’ve
Experienced sooo young.
Do we brush it off?
Do we succumb?
Do we survive?
Do we live
Happily?
Sadly?
No
No
NoSubscribe  or  log in to reply
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Violence is always heartbreaking, but it’s especially heartbreaking against the innocent. Sending love, light, and hugs. Thank you for sharing your heart and voice with us. <3 Lauren
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months, 2 weeks ago
This post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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Lauren Brill shared a letter in the
Magical Moments group 8 months, 2 weeks ago
This is why I believe in magic
Dear Unsealers,
When I was a little girl, my grandfather bounced me on his knee and sang “Three Little Fishes” as I giggled through the song. All he ever wanted was for me to feel joy in life. He died when I was 13. It was my first experience with overwhelming grief, and I was devastated. I coped by leaning into the idea that my grandfather was watching over me and cheering me on in all my pursuits.
He used to tell me that the rain was good luck. So, whenever it rained during big moments of my life, I believed it was my grandfather signaling to me, “Don’t worry, I am here.” It rained at my high school graduation. It rained when I scored big goals in soccer. It rained when I interviewed for my dream job as a sports anchor. It poured the day I was offered that job, which happened to be my late grandfather’s birthday. It seemed like it was always raining on the most important days of my life, which only cemented my belief that my grandfather was watching out for me.
However, on November 30, 2022, it was a clear night in Miami — not a cloud in the sky. I decided to attend a networking event for people in Miami who work in technology. There, I made eye contact with this tall, handsome man. He started talking to me, and after telling him about my company, The Unsealed, he told me that he had founded an online company when he was younger. He said his site received 20,000 organic hits daily (that’s a lot). And so, I started asking many questions — it was rapid-fire, one after the other. At some point, he stopped me and said, “Do you want to continue this conversation over tacos?” And so, we left and ate Mexican street corn and tacos on a picnic table outside a restaurant that doubles as a speakeasy.
It didn’t take me long to realize that this man was kind, intelligent, classy, funny, and thoughtful. From that day forward, we started spending a lot of time together: dinners, events, and even weekend trips. As I opened up to him about my past and my pain, he listened closely. He asked questions, and he never judged me. One time, we were watching a movie, and I had a flashback from my sexual assault. I put the pillow over my head and asked him to change the channel quickly. He turned off the TV, and as my eyes started to well up with tears, he said, “Come here, let me hold you.” When I shared my fears and insecurities about building a company, he said, “Lauren, think of the ten smartest people you’ve ever encountered, and I promise you at least nine of them couldn’t do what you’ve done.” To this day, he always follows through when he makes a promise to me, whether it be a trip to a foreign place or to my favorite restaurant. From the beginning, he has known when I am happy, anxious, frustrated, or hungry — just by the look on my face — and has responded accordingly. He is so in tune with who I am and how I feel that it seems as though my peace is his priority.
Even so, early in our relationship, I was afraid to trust the authenticity of his love. I had been disappointed so many times in love and relationships, and I was on edge, just waiting for the shoe to drop — just waiting for something to go wrong. I couldn’t live in the moment as I was too afraid it would soon end. One night, he was on his computer while I was resting on his couch, and I randomly asked him what his name meant in his culture. He was in the middle of working and responded, “I don’t know — something with water.” So I googled it. His name translates as “the God of rain.”
In disbelief, that was the moment I began to let myself love and be loved. That was the moment I started to trust my partner and the universe. It was the reassurance I needed to know I was safe. About a year later, he proposed to me on the boardwalk at Disney World. We are getting married in a few months, and I am so excited. Falling in love has enriched my life and made the present moment so special, so much so that it has made me believe that magic exists in all of our lives.
For years, the rain was a way for me to stay connected to the joy my grandfather brought me, but now, it’s what allowed me to embrace the joy right before me.With immense hope and gratitude,
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A beautiful story! Many rainy days ahead are wished for you {{{{Lauren}}}}.
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Thank you so much <3
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Oh my heart! This might be the most beautiful love story I’ve ever heard. I’m so happy you found someone who is such a safe place for you. This is the new standard I want to teach my daughter!! One of my favorite songs is “Your Hideaway” by Josh Groban. If you haven’t heard it give it a listen ❤️
P.S. I love making playlists for people (music is…read more
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Thank you for sharing your truth Lauren. I find it so inspiring to acknowledge the magic in our lives. Hearing how others are touched only reinforces magic itself. e hā`ule ka ua i kou pu`uwai me ka ha`alele `ole
Is Hawaiian May the rain fall upon your heart without abandonWrite me back Subscribe  or  log in to reply
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@johnnybear thank you for reading! And thank you so much for the kind words. It truly means so much to me! <3 Lauren
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@alyssa I just went and listened to the song. I love it. Thank you so much for the kind words and for cheering on my joy. I love that you are teaching your daughter to set the bar high. Sendings hugs. <3 Lauren
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Oh my gosh! This made me cry it’s so sweet. I truly believe you will always have your grandfather watching over you and he found your fiance before you did! You are amazing and I’m so happy you are able to embrace that joy and trust. You deserve the world. Congratulations on the engagement. 💜💜
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Aww thank you so much. I believe that too and YOU ARE AMAZING. You are so filled with love and kindness and it makes me feel so happy! Thank you for being a light in this world and thanks for the congrats! <3 Lauren
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Lauren, I loved your story!!! It is a beautiful love story. I am so glad you get to experience that:) My daughter and I both was brought to tears of how sweet and wonderful that story was. I wish you blessings on blessings on your continuous life of love!!!
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Aww Charmaine! Thank you! You are so sweet! Thank you for reading my story and rooting on my happiness. It means so much to me! <3 Lauren
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Of Course! You are so welcome!!!
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This story gave me the sweetest happy tears and like the good warm goosebumps! I’m such a believer in signs from our loved ones on the other side ❤️ so beautiful! Congratulations and wishing you both a lifetime of happiness!
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roses submitted a contest entry to
Write a poem a letter about quote or motto that inspires you 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Nicky
If beautiful was printed from a negative it would be the silhouette of a rose
Because roses are sculpted from the hands of immorality
Breathed from the marble no one saw as a flower
Every petal flaunts the gorgeous of galaxies
Positively Divine
The eyes of roses are ocean deep and sky blue
They see life the way we’re supposed to live
Balanced in duality, Life and Death
A marriage with as many anniversaries as time
The two need to become one so fear may bloom into confidence
A rose might be one of the few things to achieve perfection on earth the way its attraction reflects the heavens
The way it’s smile ages like the innocence of a child until its aroma becomes the wine from 35′
The way it freezes death into a Picasso Dali Esque piece of painted poetry
A rose understands the heartbeat of death and the silence of life in humility
That’s why they are used during and after life
Have you ever seen such grace command hell ?
Roses make the marble soft, the concrete cry, and anxiety strong
And that is why I say, “you remind me of a rose, an absolute rose.” (Daisy Buchanan)
You are and can be everything you want to achieve
p.s. it’s never too late to sculpt your rose…This quote from The Great Gatsby has inspired me since my high school years. As a passionate admirer of flowers, particularly roses, I aspire to embody the metaphor of sculpting my rose from concrete. Life presents various challenges, and I have faced significant mental health hurdles along the way. However, this quote serves as a powerful reminder to embrace the strength that can emerge from pain and success. I am committed to personal growth and believe in my capacity to improve each day. That is what I wish to communicate in this poem and inspire others on their own journey.
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As an English teacher, I love The Great Gatsby. It is too bad that none of the characters (other than Gatbsy, in my opinion) were particularly “rosy” themselves. You are so right that you can achieve what you set your mind to with determination, grit, and commitment. Roses are so much more beautiful when they push through concrete. Thank you for…read more
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Yes, life is less about finding happiness but more about pushing the boundaries to discover gratitude within the places you wouldn’t have looked. Thank you for taking time to read this piece!
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malakkc submitted a contest entry to
Write a poem (or letter) about a turning point in your life 8 months, 4 weeks ago
Anxiety's Firsts
First day!
What to expect?
Exited, nervous, undefinable?
Confused, turned around,
Don’t know where to go,
Or how to study?Well you’re not alone,
My first time at university
I was eighteen, unsure
Of what career to persue,
And what to study for me to succeed.A new chapter in lives
New expectations, responsibilities,
That weigh heavily, as duties
To self and society’s demands
On your ability to make moneys,Live alone,
Pay rent,
Have a relationship,
That’s heaven sent,
Have 1.75 children and pant
As you pay bills that pile, always spent.Firsts are always flustering, lone,
As none other than expectations, gone, gone
Down the tubes as reality is a forgone
Hindrance to cheer that has none
Of the tools for survival except a will made of bone.©️ Malak kalmoni chehab ©️
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Malak, you are so right that when we do something for the first time, our expectations usually go right out the window. Even now that I’m an adult, I still get nervous when doing something new for the first time. Our lives are full of firsts, and all we can do is learn. Thank you for sharing your story!
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db-cooper submitted a contest entry to
Write a poem (or letter) about a turning point in your life 9 months, 3 weeks ago
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Poetry group 10 months, 3 weeks ago
This post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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