Melancholy Drift
An entry for Gabriel Huizenga's "Lost-ish" Unofficial Challenge
I sit in the muted light of my melancholy.
It is the space beneath a weeping willow,
Rooted in
A cave of leaves probed carefully by the sun,
Enclosed, safe, lightly penetrated by light.
It is the lavender hue that creeps up
At the end of a summer day,
That hints of night's late arrival:
Scented
And soft, like cashmere.
It is bird song before sunrise
Behind curtains,
Lying foetally, fatally.
I cannot stay here long nor forever.
To languish is to lessen,
Energy leeching as I dwell in my thoughts,
Musing trying to anchor me to its depth
With its promise of stillness,
Of quiet contemplation.
I choose not to wallow here.
I could...
I dip into its cool pool
And it encompasses me,
Surrounding me with introspection.
I float, drifting, without direction.
It cannot last, I will not let it.
I need to be planted
And my feet seek the firmness
Of groundedness and
Landed reality calls me in
And I emerge,
Ready.
***
A link to Gabriel's challenge:
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Comments (31)
"It is the lavender hue that creeps up At the end of a summer day," Such a lovely sight for my minds-eye this morning. Congratulations on placing in Gabriel's challenge, Rachel!
Well done, Rachel. Glad you got some recognition, even if it wasn't a prize.
I love the imagery of this poem, Rachel. Congrats on placing in Gabriel's challenge! 🎉
Left a like before, now back to say congratulations!
Back for a second read, and to say congrats.
I remember enjoying this one! Congrats on your placement dudette! 😃
Great job 👏 placing in the challenge 😃✅.
Back to say congratulations for placing in the challenge, Rachel! Richly deserved!
Very well deserving of the leaderboard I like to visualize the moment one emerges, after feeling lost
Yay! Leaderboard placing!🤩
OOOOOO! Thos was glorious Rachel!!! Congrats on honourable mention this week!!!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
This is such a wonderful piece - it forms a clear portal into a gorgeously detailed, living and breathing scene, and all the while manages to perfectly express these abstract feelings of ungroundedness. Fantastic work, thank you so much for submitting this and joining in, Rachel! :)
Tranquil & restful… lovely progression 💖.
Mmmm this is very pleasant. It takes me back to moments like these as a child. It's a wonderful reminder for me. I love the way the words you choose feel.
There are so many excellent lines in this Rachel. You’ve got such talent.
Stunning work Rachel! Such gorgeous writing! I love how empowering the ending felt as well! BRAVO!
Rachel, this poem flows like a gentle stream, it is beautiful. My favorite line was "A cave of leaves probed carefully by the sun" probed carefully by the sun and leaves - a cave of them - so unique and wonderful.
Beautiful images
Beautifully done with both a sense of calm and one of urgency. No, that's not right. More like, I have to move but I won't rush.
This lyrical poem could be a metaphor for many things. Lost in unhappy thoughts, the fear of a major change before it fully takes root with echos of death and rebirth, lost in a place just pleasant enough that you resist moving on. As Komal wrote, it definitely evokes the feels! Wonderful challenge entry, Rachel!
Loved it! Such a vivid dive into calm melancholy, but you didn’t stay there too long—came out grounded and ready. Perfect blend of soft feels and strength! ✨
Lovely, so visceral and empowering at the end! Thank you for writing this
A liminal realm, skillfully summoned up. Deftly done!
Nice one 🌺🌺🌺🌺☘️