Welcome back to another post from the Synergy Chronicles, possible at all thanks to the lovely folks sending submissions each month. This month we are featuring works from January River, Nimita Kaul, and Laura Catanzano. Thank you all for reading and sharing this publication with fellow creatives. You’ve all been incredibly patient with me as I’ve made promises to make posts weekly, and then biweekly, and then monthly as I figured out how to incorporate this new (and wanted) responsibility into my sort of chaotic life. Your presence and support is appreciated!
Reconstruction by January River Eli Whitney made muskets of interchangeable parts the way we borrow pieces of each other from each other They’re never really yours or mine We add them to ourselves We build new people We build new selves Trading and taking and stealing from flea market tables Your humor, your carefree facade, your silent regret My focus, my drive, my perfectionist rage All, displayed in a case like comics and coins Some are protected with plastic sleeves since they’ve never been used like a gifted stamp collection made of guilt Some things we want to give away but can’t because we should use them We must appreciate what we’re given They’ll sit in the wrapper until we change what we like Some we find missing Some we want back except they’re not ours anymore like the dog that went to live with your uncle while you were in Spain It’s his dog now, you know And you do know You knew as soon as you left And some never left They’ve been here the whole time in the corner of the shed The bicycle, the screenplay, the paintbrushes the sense of wonder the confidence of a little boy with a stick conducting the orchestra with abandon They were always here waiting to be dusted off Waiting for us to trade back enough pieces to become ourselves again This poem was written specifically to and for this month's theme: reclaim.
At Loggerheads by Nimita Kaul I will reclaim this World; With every brushstroke, Every mark and messing up of the paper with ink, nibs, lead and colours. I will listen to my ‘self’ The one I am seeking, observing and trying to understand. I will tunnel through the memories of childhood Where play, safety, voice and freedom seemed simple. I will turn this trauma piece of an existence Into a thoroughly lived, enjoyed and savoured living. I will create, absorb and reciprocate With abundance of thanks, peace and excitement, Sprinkled with some good and ever-enticing fear. I will let my thoughts meander but not settle, Believing only in action and the journey. I will treasure stillness, pauses and my mind’s noise, The clutter, the crowd and the clearing of vision. I will survive this with kindness and empathy Drawing strength from seeking help and camaraderie. Friendships will last for peace and comfort For love, kindness, madness and joy. Relationships will have a clarity of my expression For my needs, feelings, and the endeavour to be my real self. I will abandon the distractions of pleasing, Of imitating what is expected and Imbibing what is suggested. I will seek my own being, the one that doesn’t hesitate to growl, shout or speak up I will remember to recall this promise, When I am tempted to surrender To the convenience of it all. I will decide for my sanity, my well-being The actions, inactions, calls for help and decisions to remain silent. I will engage and disengage And not feel guilty about it. I will be kind to myself first; I will not think of love or connections as transactions. I will emerge, exist and create ripples of disturbance Where it irks for the best. I will support the brave and the courageous, Also the ones hesitant and afraid, I will not improve before I reclaim My current existence, knowledge And experience. I will tell my younger self and the present me, to let go and live, I will rejoice in the gift of life, The earth that forgives, The lives that have lived, The lives that will diminish, Ones that have touched, nurtured and influenced my existence. I will not deny my instincts their voice, I will not ignore any epiphanies, I will honour them and love my ‘self’ first. I will begin with me and create ripples of togetherness that will collaborate towards like-minded communities. I will do it, I am starting now. I want it, like never before. I will reclaim my existence in this World, With every brushstroke, one page at a time. Find the original post here. Enjoy these drawings that accompany Nimita’s poem:
Phoenix Rising by Laura Catanzano But dear one, You are a Phoenix. You've set your world on fire burned every bridge fannng winds of change with the merciless beatings of your wings of rapture. You know your soul is ready as you look back upon your life of bittersweet folly. A world born of limits with ceilings meant for shattering. You light your flame and erupt and as the sparkling ash falls- you'll dance, and dress in black for the funeral of your former self. And when you step into the light, you'll spread your wings and fly. This poem was written specifically to and for this month's theme: reclaim.
As always, thank you to the writers who submitted their work so that I could share it and put it in front of you. Be sure to explore more of their work if what you read here spoke to you! Come back next month for a new theme: magic.