Mantle B&W
Month: December 2023
Midnight
At midnight her slippers
did more than disappear.
The fantasized facade fell away
and the eggshells she'd been walking on
returned directly under her feet.
She moved on reluctantly.
The hands of the clock
restarting more than what
they had ended.
Validated
No longer do I feel your validation.
Judgemental eyes now pierce
through each and every one
of my words.
My actions now frowned upon
with callous questions and
looks of pure dismay.
Yet your approval
is no longer required...
For your acceptance
means absolutely nothing
when I can give it to myself.
2023
Well this has been a year…
These last 360 days have been full of learning experiences and life lessons. I have discovered so much about myself (both good and bad) that will definitely be impacting how I will move forward into this next year. Honestly, it’s been a good one. I’ve got an incredible support system of family and friends in my life and I’ve gotten to do some pretty amazing things.
I do have a few regrets (as most of us probably do), but no painstaking ones. In reality though… I think they were all things that will lead to positive changes in the next year for me. So maybe I don’t actually regret most of them.
I have discovered parts of me that I don’t necessarily enjoy. I think a lot of us have an alter ego or two within us… I found one within some fucked up corner of my soul that I thought made me happy, but ended up being kind of harmful. I basically just discovered more ways to disrespect and exploit myself. I have been known to push the boundaries in my life…. But shit… I kind of went above and beyond a few times. Not the best, healthy version of me. But life lessons and experiences are important… I guess…
I don’t do resolutions at New Year’s… But if I did… I would say that this year I want to love myself wholeheartedly. I want to be able to feel content in my own head (at least most of the time) and trust that I can make myself happy. I just want to prove to myself that I don’t need anyone else’s approval. I still catch myself searching for acceptance and affection from others… when in reality it doesn’t fucking matter.
I’ll work on it I swear.
Anyways… thank you all for sticking with me again this year. I really appreciate the love from the WP community and I am grateful for all the support.
Happy New Year 🙂
-Hal
Tide Pool 3 (C&BW)
Tide Pool 2 (C&BW)
Tide Pool (C&BW)
Burden
She didn't want to go,
but she knew she couldn't stay.
How could she remain in a place
where her love had become
such an awful burden?
Tide Landscapes
Sweatshirt
Memories linger between
the threads of my sweatshirt.
Glimpses of lilac-clothed moments
retained within the stitches of
a cotton-polyester blend.
Simple fabric now consoling me
from my mind's wanderings to you.
Anonymously Hal 
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