Sunday, August 21, 2022

One Direction?


Collage by M. Bednar (click on image to enlarge)

One Direction?

When I retell a cherished story,
I sometimes embellish the plot, sink into it, 
stay far longer than a few paragraphs; 
new chapters emerge, new characters, different endings:

Alice decides to stay in the rabbit hole, 
Cinderella refuses her prince, 
Old Yeller's given a vaccine,
Black Beauty helps Ginger mend her ways.

What makes happy endings?  
A handsome groom,
white picket fence, gems, jewels, 
glamorous dresses, adventure?  

Perhaps it's simple:  a mulish devotion to self - 
not absorption, but awareness.  The giving of, 
not pampering of.  Allowing strength and conviction
to rule the day, not simpering whimsy, not fantasy.

Life is our story; may we fill pages 
with intrepid words written with a bold hand 
and a few mark throughs, as rethinking 
(and changing course) is honorable -

best route to happily ever after.

by Margaret Bednar, August 21, 2022


9 comments:

Rajani said...

Rethinking and changing course is honorable- that absolutely resonates. Alice can very well refuse to come out of the rabbit hole!!

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Sounds about right to me!

Rajani Rehana said...

Please read my post

Helen said...

I enlarged your wonderful collage .. WOW it is a stunner, as is your thoughtful poem. Love that you are finding time for creativity after the hustle and bustle of changing States and Homes!

Jim said...

Hi Helen, glad to see you posting. The collage is wonderful, nice thing to do, bits and pieces on slow summer days. It's time for school, perhaps you may write more now again? I like the thought of re-doing, as long as it doesn't meet a time obstacle the opportunity might still be there. ????
..

Jim said...

Oops, I knew better, say Margaret 100 times,
Margaret Margaret
Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret
Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret
Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret
Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret Margaret
That's 69, quite enought I believe, please forgive. I was thinking Margaret, but my fingers typed Helen, probably lapsing from your reply above.
..

Magaly Guerrero said...

Simpering can ruin the best story. Thank goodness for reality made ink, for strong personalities, and for the freedom to be.

rallentanda said...

Love your collage...stunning ! Simpering whimsy and white picket fences are escapist fantasy endings....to make it to the end in itself is an achievement!

purplepeninportland.com said...

Sounds like a good way to live life. Love that collage!