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Adrião Pereira da Cunha's avatar

This poem reads like someone finally putting language to a lifetime of carrying fear around.

The way fear is described as a shadow that never leaves your side feels painfully real.

I love how the poem doesn’t pretend that facing fear is heroic it shows the shaking, the doubt, the staying anyway.

There’s something deeply honest in the way old memories rise up, like things you thought you’d outgrown but never did.

The moment of sitting with fear instead of running from it feels incredibly brave in a quiet, everyday way.

You can feel the shift happening slowly, almost silently, like a tiny light appearing in a dark room.

The Digitalis metaphor is beautiful something that can harm you but also heal you if understood.

It captures how fear can be both a weight and a guide, depending on how you meet it.

The poem doesn’t promise freedom, just understanding, which feels much more true to life.

By the end, it feels like someone finally learning to live with themselves instead of fighting their own mind.

Odel Asseille's avatar

Thank you, Adrião.

I read your comment, twice, and I took a little break to sit with it. There’s so much depth in it and I’m grateful you put so much energy to share it.

You understand the core of that poem. We don’t need to get rid of our fears, we need to beware of them and choose to keep moving with intention.

It depends how we see them, they can be a prison or information.

Nabanita's avatar

Such a great reckoning with fear Odel. I love the shift from being hounded by fear and learning to stay with it and gaining life lessons. Good writing. I know you collab a lot, but these occasional poems just by you are such treats.

Odel Asseille's avatar

Thank you, Nabanita. That means a lot.

I've been wondering lately, and may ask you an advice, I was thinking of removing the Midweek Mirror from my page and replace it by a section for sharing some of my poems. I strongly believe that my poems can fit better the newsletter, the problem is they are about anything that comes to my mind while my current reflections are based on relationships dynamics. Do you think that can cause like a confusion about my writing ?

Nabanita's avatar

No I think you should do that. The focus needs to be on you . That’s my feeling.

Odel Asseille's avatar

Thank you, Nabanita 🥰

I'll think of it.

Aaliya's avatar

My friend, your words resonate with me on so many levels. The metaphor of fear as a language and a shield is incredibly insightful. Thank you for opening up about such a challenging experience♥️

Odel Asseille's avatar

I’m glad it resonates with you.

In some way, we’re more connected that we can imagine. I mean, our experience, even different, carry a lot of common point.

Your text always resonates with me. Blame on me for not telling you that as often as you do to me,

But your courage motivates me sometimes when I feel like “I don’t think I should share this”

Aaliya's avatar

I am glad if o can be even of little help ♥️

Odel Asseille's avatar

🥰🫶🏽🫶🏽

AsukaHotaru's avatar

Keys quietly placed in my hands... a soft strange image for fear, not kinder exactly, just suddenly something you can hold...

Odel Asseille's avatar

Agreed, that’s a strange image for fear. In general, we’re being told to cast fear away

Daniil Frolov's avatar

Great poem Odel. And very true. A lot of us let fear guide our lives for too long. Mine was driving. I was absolutely terrified of driving. I couldn't do it. For years. In Europe it's not too bad, but I suppose for a car-culture like America, unheard of. I'd like to say it all had a happy ending, but nope. I still don't drive. I like to think about my carbon footprint. And cycling is healthier anyway.

Odel Asseille's avatar

I understand. It’s not only fear, sometimes it’s just us that don’t feel like doing something. We just don’t feel at ease doing so. We own it, no need to force anything