Author: Tina Stewart Brakebill

Haiku & Other Poetry, Random Rants, tutto e niente

Fleeing the Vortex

Tina Stewart Brakebill

falling water swirls

her mind follows its heartbeat

she flees the vortex

timelapse photo of trees with background of star

I think of this haiku as a companion to the flash fiction piece I wrote for The Drabble. It’s only 97 words so check it out here if you haven’t read it. #foreveryes

Neither of these pieces is meant to suggest or advocate suicide. It wasn’t until someone asked me if “she” killed herself that I realized how easy it is to have that interpretation.  To me, both this and #foreveryes are about taking back your power. Turning away from those attempting to control your choices. Claiming Your Life.

But as I reread them I see my anger and sadness and fury and frustration. And I shouldn’t be surprised. So often these days, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by it all. Choking. As if I’m being force-fed a steady diet of misogyny and racism and hate. And every time I try to use my words to go directly at the issues, I get bogged down. But … clearly my emotions are peeking through. And that, I think, is a good thing. Anything that pushes it out so it doesn’t choke me is a step forward!

Anything that helps put this into the trash heep of disgusting ideas! yr-e7133-2-2018halloween-1537481127

 

 

 

So … “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum”

#IBelieveSurvivors

#WhyIDidn’tReport

Thanks for the prompt!

 

 

 

Flash Fiction, Random Rants, tutto e niente

#foreveryes

Tina Stewart Brakebill

I tell myself I write for the love of writing. I tell myself it’s OK if no one else reads it. I tell myself that something can be good even if no one else *likes* it.  I tell myself ….

But …

And what about …

And if a tree falls in a forest is its death worth it if nobody reads my stuff?! (Wait.  I think I screwed up that reference.)

So …

I cannot deny it’s pretty damn cool when someone else DOES like it.

I submitted this piece to The Drabble and long story short (literally–it had to be less than 100 words) they liked it. They really liked it! (Apologies to Sally Field for stealing (and then messing with) her line. No apologies to those who don’t get that reference. You have your youth–so there’s that!)

So go visit it and give it a LIKE (if you like).  You can find #foreveryes at The Drabble