When Nights in Paradise Become Lonely

February 12, 2017February 12, 2017 / Penny L Howe / 10 Comments

♡

The physical attributes of paradise cannot be gainsaid and needless to add, each person has their own view of what their surroundings of paradise would contain.

But here’s the thing, just as no person is an island onto themselves, our emotional hearts require the taste and nourishment of paradise too. Without shared love, affection and caring regard from others to sustain and lift us up in our darker hours, a creeping insidious aspect begins; even in the most seemingly ideal paradise (perspectively speaking). An aspect which may ultimately undo the original intent of a seeker of paradise.

*For me, paradise is first and foremost about bountiful and sincere expressions and actions of love, after which the ambiance of physical trappings may be added.

“Seek you then to love openly and freely with caring, joyful fulsomeness. The best sort of paradise will always begin within loving hearts.”~Plh

♡

May your days ahead be filled with many good things. Have the best week possible. Thanks for stopping by.

(*btw I’m perfectly understanding of the many many who, in today’s interesting times, would be content with just waking up to a less insane mentality than the one currently proliferating around the world. Me too!)

♡

With sincere affection,

~Penny

And so I shall write (a bloggers paradise)

November 1, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 44 Comments

And so I shall write,

pausing only to visit my online companions.

Read well written lines – their creative compositions.

View beautiful photographs captured in a moment,

entertaining self of fellow artisans creativity.

Breaking tension of nerves with their soothing music,

all reminding, so sweetly, of life’s wonders,

still existing in the imagination of our minds …

and so I shall write!

Have an wonderful weekend, and enjoy!

~ Penny

Ligo Haibun Challenge ~ For all writers!

September 13, 2013September 13, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 24 Comments

The Challenge:

Fall (Autumn) is a busy time of the year for many, along with changing seasons, it is also the return of school in many countries. Each day that passes finds us presented with a potentially wide range of emotions for us to handle – the ‘ups and downs’ that may beset us.

With this in mind, the hosts (Nightlake, Ye Pirate and myself) of the Ligo Haibun Challenge have selected the following two words for you to explore and think on while writing your haibun this week, chose either one:

“paradise” or “apathy”

Enjoy your creativity this week!

I have chosen Paradise. Yesterday I wrote a serious story about Paradise as it relates to love. Today I write a whimsical haibun on the same subject!

My offering:

Paradise

Falling in love. This, the exact expression describing those sky rocketing emotions first felt when finding love with another.

The sensation like falling, in a way. Akin to leaping out of an airplane, free falling before the parachute opens, knowing not what the next moment might bring, loving the adrenaline rush racing through your body.

I’ve fallen in love. And it is paradise. Or the best feeling I can come up with when thinking of paradise. It would be nice however if there were a parachute. Just like jumping out of an airplane, there is gravity to contend with and it does pull one down. Sometimes pulling one right out of paradise into hell.

paradise exists

but only for a time

no parachute

Thank you. Now it’s your turn.

Write a haibun this Week. The Ligo Haibun Challenge is open to all writers, you are encouraged to enter.

To read about the Haibun style of writing and the rules to this challenge, click here. This is a weekly challenge so be sure to enter before the closing date and time. Click on the link collection to view time remaining, add your link and to access and read other entries for this week.

There were several writers who didn’t have an opportunity to submit their entries for recent challenges, They are listed below!

#Ligo Haibun – Inspired by Persia | Sarah Ann Hall

#Ligo Haibun – My Pet Penguins – hmv (Heath Martin Vogel),

#Ligo Haibun – Quote from Romi – horty ( Maria H. Rexach-Rivera, MD aka Dr. Rex)

Have an excellent rest of your day and weekend ahead! Thank you for stopping by,

~ Penny

The warmth of your arms ~ paradise lost!

September 12, 2013September 13, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 63 Comments

Short short (flash) fiction – Friday Fictioneers, check it out! A wonderful weekly writing challenge for all writers, brought to you by the talented and gracious hostess (Rochelle). Click here and then – write!

This weeks photo prompt:

Photo credit: Jan Wayne Fields

Flash Fiction version:

(count – 100 words)

Paradise Lost

Remember my saying “when I am in your arms the world is a perfect place?” It was true. I felt loved, desired and safe. Three strong emotional needs we all share, I found in your arms. Isn’t that what paradise is all about? Shared experiences in the moment, our weekend in New York, wrapped in gossamer tissues of hopes, desires and promises.

Then our worlds clashed, private agendas displacing love with personal goals.

Now, memories of our brief happiness mixed with desire and longing. Loving memories of paradise … and paradise lost.

Missing the warmth of your arms.

The full length version:

Paradise Lost

I miss the warmth of your arms. I have for 6 long months now. But your agenda was different than mine. We did connect though, didn’t we? The long weekend we spent in one of the most romantic cities on the planet, New York, was heavenly in it’s perfection.

Do you remember my telling you, when I was in your arms, the world was a perfect place? I felt loved, desired and safe – all rolled into one. Three of the strongest emotional needs humans require. I found them all – in your arms.

But that’s what paradise is all about, isn’t it? What is experienced in the moment; wrapped in gossamer tissues of hopes, desires and promises. Such heady stuff.

And so we played, laughed and loved, reality continuing, all around us, while we lived our dreams. Then our worlds clashed, the love still there but overwhelmed by our individual game plans and our inability to express ourselves well – as you pointed out after you’d been gone for awhile and we were speaking on the phone – You asked why neither one of us had looked into the other’s eyes and said “I need you and love you so much” even though we both felt it.

Each, so insecure of self we feared the other’s open rejection and our own ability to be what we felt the other wanted – so we were silent.

But happiness was mine, for a brief period of time. Now I have memories of contentment mixed in with sensual desire and longing. Such loving memories of paradise and paradise lost.

I miss the warmth of your arms.

~*~

Thank you for reading, have a lovely day today and a beautiful tomorrow!

~ Penny