Shadowoflakesandmeadows - Who Knows - Tumblr Blog

goddamn it.

Words to Use Instead of "Said"

whispered

shouted

exclaimed

murmured

muttered

yelled

cried

screamed

stammered

declared

replied

answered

commented

remarked

suggested

hinted

announced

observed

mentioned

noted

Something about emptiness feels like comfort. Loneliness is the peace that settles in my bones. The steadiness of no waves and the immensity of endless horizon.

If it’s only me here on this beach, I will never be too much again.

Symbolism in Writing

Weather Symbolism

Rain: cleansing, sadness, renewal, obstacles

Sunshine: happiness, hope, clarity, energy

Storms: conflict, turmoil, dramatic change

Snow: purity, stillness, coldness, isolation

Fog: confusion, mystery, uncertainty

Wind: change, freedom, unrest, communication

Animal Symbolism

Eagle: freedom, vision, strength, courage

Lion: bravery, power, leadership, pride

Dove: peace, love, innocence, spirituality

Wolf: loyalty, cunning, survival, community

Snake: transformation, danger, temptation, wisdom

Butterfly: transformation, beauty, impermanence

Plant Symbolism

Rose: love, beauty, passion, secrecy

Oak Tree: strength, endurance, wisdom

Willow Tree: sadness, flexibility, resilience

Lotus Flower: purity, enlightenment, rebirth

Ivy: friendship, fidelity, eternity

Cactus: endurance, protection, warmth

Object Symbolism

Mirror: self-reflection, truth, illusion

Key: opportunity, secrets, freedom

Bridge: connection, transition, overcoming obstacles

Candle: hope, spirituality, life, guidance

Clock: time, mortality, urgency

Mask: disguise, deception, concealment

Number Symbolism

One: beginnings, unity, individuality

Two: partnership, balance, duality

Three: creativity, growth, completeness

Four: stability, order, foundation

Five: change, adventure, unpredictability

Seven: mystery, spirituality, luck

Season Symbolism

Spring: renewal, birth, growth, hope

Summer: vitality, abundance, joy, freedom

Autumn: change, maturity, decline, reflection

Winter: death, stillness, introspection, endurance

Light and Darkness Symbolism

Light: knowledge, purity, safety, enlightenment

Darkness: ignorance, evil, mystery, fear

Shadow: the unconscious, secrets, mystery

Twilight: ambiguity, transition, mystery

Element Symbolism

Fire: passion, destruction, energy, transformation

Water: emotion, intuition, life, change

Earth: stability, grounding, fertility, growth

Air: intellect, communication, freedom, change

Anaïs Nin, from a novel titled "A Spy in the House of Love," published in 1954

Marie Howe, from What the Living Do; “Watching Television”

Showing 'Exhaustion' in Writing

Heavy eyelids, struggling to stay open.

Slumping shoulders, barely able to hold themselves up.

Dragging feet with each step.

Speaking in a slow, slurred manner.

Dark circles under the eyes.

Yawning frequently and deeply.

Head nodding forward, trying to stay awake.

Leaning heavily against walls or furniture.

Rubbing eyes and face with hands.

Deep, weary sighs escaping lips.

Wincing at bright lights or loud sounds.

Staring blankly ahead, unable to focus.

Weak, unsteady movements.

Muttering incoherently to themselves.

Falling asleep in unusual places.

Lack of response or delayed reactions.

Propping their head up with their hand.

Collapsing onto the nearest available surface.

Swaying slightly on their feet.

Barely lifting their head to speak or listen.

He asked if I could imagine a world without him.

I looked up at the stars and saw his silhouette in the constellations. The gentle breeze wrapped its arms around me, the way he does when we sleep. The moon tasted just like he does when we reunite after too much time apart. The ground beneath me sprouted flowers that birthed his cologne.

I said no, but what I meant was: You are the ocean and the sky, the grass and the soil. You are the nutrients that feed my nature and the stars that guide me home. You are foundation of reality and the portal for dreams. Imagining a world without you is like remembering someone you’ve never met. I am not me without you; my world is not my world without you.

I wonder who else is out there.

I was never gentle.

A child born into hell can’t be.

And if by chance, there hid a version of me who was, I would damn her to the depths, where she felt nothing, where she existed only as a void. Where she was safe from him and her and them and sometimes herself. Where she could save her gentle for herself.

And she’d get upset with me from time to time. Complaining of lack and desperation, exhausted by a life of nothingness. I’d let her come out and play, excited to show the world her love. She’d run wild, alone, hugging the flowers and kissing the moon. I’d watch the world love her back. Nature accepting and nourishing her gentle; a love so pure envy lives in it. And for a moment I’d wonder what I’m hiding her for.

For a moment I’d question my intentions - am I hiding her? Or protecting her?

“They are one and the same,” the wind whispers.

"I have my mothers rage, and my father's ability to walk away. this, I've learned, is a very lonely combination."

Rose Brik, my father's eyes, my mother's rage

Adonis, from a poem titled “Unintended Worship,” featured in If Only the Sea Could Sleep

Gustave Flaubert, “Letter to Louise Colet.”

normal gets you nowhere 💓

I exist only in limbo. The journey extends for every step I take. The life I want hanging off the edge, taunting me. Siren’s songs fuel my body forward. Exhaustion builds to a crescendo.

I lose count of my steps, of the drops left in my water jug. I leave behind pieces of myself as breadcrumbs, just in case you want to find me again.

I hope we’re walking to the same ledge.

— Charles Bukowski, Love Is a Dog from Hell

— k.p.k

M.L.Rio, “If We Were Villains.”

M.L.Rio, “If We Were Villains.”

— I Guess the Old You is a Ghost (#589: June 25, 2014)

— Charles Bukowski, Screams from the balcony