Mastodawn

The Cenotaph

There are places in me
where I go to mourn
what is not there.

An empty stone,
a name without a body,
a date without a doorway.

The precious thing is buried elsewhere—
in a house that no longer stands,
in a field grown over strange weeds,
in a voice I cannot quite recover,
in the face of someone
before disappointment taught them
how to look away.

I bring flowers
to the wrong place.

Still, I come.

Because memory does not always know
where the dead are buried.
Sometimes, it only knows
where to kneel.

And perhaps that is what I am:
a cenotaph of my former selves,
a monument raised far from the grave,
a body still walking
with epitaphs hidden under the skin.

Here lies the boy who believed.
Here lies the song unsung.

Here lies the photo with the blurred face.
Here lies the joy that went ahead of me
and never came back.

But the mausoleum is empty.

That is the terror.
That is the mercy.

For what is not here
may not be wholly lost.
What is buried far away
may still be sending roots beneath the earth,
their ghostly fingers stretching toward me.

#buriedMemories #Cenotaph #distance #EmptyTomb #grief #GriefAndHope #Healing #innerLandscape #longing #lostInnocence #lostSelf #Melancholy #memorial #memory #minimalIllustration #Nostalgia #personalReflection #prosePoetry #reflectiveArt #remembrance #sacredAbsence #shadowWork #Solitude #soulWork #spiritualExile #symbolicArt #visualMetaphor #woundedSelf

May 🌸 ~美~ 🌸4d ago

Ok I like this one a lot

#selfportrait #photography #maypics #selfie #soft #blonde #selfieSunday #tattoo #altgirls #transbeauty #sfw #lingerie #lewd #lips #longing

Heart of Flesh Literary Journal May 22

Issue 15 Is Out!

The 15th issue of Heart of Flesh is here!

Cover art: Prophet Elijah by Jésica Frustaci.

Enter Issue 15

Read Online | Download | Buy Print Copy

Note from the Editor

Prayer Warrior II (2025) by Veronica McDonald.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
– Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)

Waiting is hard. But, hard or not, when you’re a Christian, waiting on God is just a part of everyday life. In fact, it is a crucial part. Even as a God-fearing woman, there have been innumerable times when I knew what I wanted and I wanted it now, with all the patience of Veruca Salt (can I get an “Amen” from my impatient people?). But waiting reminds us of several important truths: 1) you are not in control – God is; 2) you do not know what’s best – God does; 3) God is not a cosmic genie here to grant all your wishes. He’s your Heavenly Father. He can tell you no. He can tell you it’s not the right time. And – while it pleases Him to give you your heart’s desires – His goal is to shape you to become more like Christ. And so, examine yourself and ask, will you stop loving God if your hopes have not yet become reality? If your prayers remain unanswered, if you can’t feel His presence, if longing has turned to weariness in the depths of your bones, will you stop loving Him? Stop following Him? Stop believing in who He is? These are the questions He will sometimes challenge us with. There are times when we hope and we long and we wait, and nothing seems to change. But when that happens, think of Jesus asleep in the boat while his disciples encountered the storm. Think of how they shook him, asking, “Teacher, do you not care (…)?” And remember – after He calms the storm – what He says to them in response: “Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:38-39)

In Issue 15, our writers have experienced hope deferred. Many in this issue display discouragement as they wait on God and wrestle with the purpose of the suffering and intense longing in their lives. Here you’ll find poets who yearn for lost innocence and for the Eden-like state of heaven. You’ll find storytellers who wrestle with unanswered prayers of having children or a spouse. Others long for rest, and for freedom from worry, from mental anguish, and from the consequences of sin. The writers and characters here give a sense that they are holding their breath, waiting and watching for God. But while some let their hearts grow weary, many cling desperately to the source of their hope, to the One who will sooner or later plant the tree of life in their barren soil. Through the cracks, and the doubts, and the sicknesses of heart, these writers will show you Jesus – His goodness, His love, and the abundant hope we have in Him.

Thank you for reading!

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#artists #bible #christian #desire #discouragement #editor #editorSNote #elijah #God #hope #issue #issue15 #jesus #literary #literaryJournal #literaryMagazine #longing #new #note #photographers #poets #prophet #proverbs #release #waiting #writers

Boris von Bernsdorf May 20

🇩🇪 Verliebt sein ist wie in einem Kreisverkehr darauf zu hoffen, niemals herausfahren zu müssen.

🇬🇧 Being in love is like being in a roundabout and hoping never to have to drive out of it.

🇪🇸 Estar enamorado es como estar en una rotonda y esperar no tener que salir nunca de ella.

#Liebe #Verliebtsein #Aphorismen #Gedanken #Poesie #Gefühle #Herz #Sehnsucht
#Love #FallingInLove #Aphorisms #Thoughts #Poetry #Feelings #Heart #Longing
#Amor #EstarEnamorado #Aforismos #Pensamientos #Poesía #Sentimientos #Corazón #Anhelo
#vonBernsdorf #artist

May 🌸 ~美~ 🌸May 18

~ Love keeps me warm ~
Daydreaming of Her

💓🌸👑🌸💓

#maypics #lewd #lips #longing

The Skeptic's Kaddish May 9

REBLOG: ‘Instant love’ by Jane Aguiar

Poem

Instant love happened to a generous heart. Mind swept away and caught in the net. There was no point in living; morning and night were the same. Now she’s in his thoughts and at his workplace. She’s in his breath, and he’s not alone. But he has made friends with his loneliness and being alone. He’s her lover, her unquenchable thirst. She cannot live even a second without his presence and love. Daily review with inspection of whether he’s into speculation or gambling. But the heart starts beating and says, “He’ll give up the other addiction.” Caffeine and nicotine make coffee and tea bitter. But the love of life makes life better forever.

Source:

Jane

#Addiction #Caffeine #Devotion #Gambling #Loneliness #Longing #Love #Poem #Poetry #Presence #Reblog