Come Clean

Today, I came clean, at the Groomers.

The Groomers is the abyss filled with horror and pain. 

The imp employed for my torture was waiting.  He started by shooting a stream of water at my chest. I shivered from the cold.  My body was wet and my fur clung to my skin.  He then rubbed soap all over me.  My eyes burned as the soap got into my eyes. I cried from the sting. 

For a moment, I caught a glimpse of you watching from behind the glass window that separated us.  I squealed to ask for your help.  No reaction.  I think you did not even see me.  Your mind seemed to be miles away.  I saw tears in your eyes.  You were crying from pain it seems like.  I wondered what the cause of your pain was.

                                       

My attention then turned to my own pain as my tormentor blasted me again with water.  I plotted to get away from him but lost all hope of escape when I realized that I was chained to the table. I surrendered to the torture.  I stopped struggling. I decided to be still.

In this stillness, I noticed, that there was something missing. I remembered that I scratched so hard last night and this morning that I ended up with wounds from digging my claws into my skin over and over again. The compulsion for me to scratch was gone.  Could it be that the water and soap healed me from the itch?  Could it be that my so called tormentor was actually my healer?

The groomer brought out another contraption that blew air that swept through my body.  I no longer felt pain and discomfort. In fact, the air felt like a gentle touch that is not unlike your touch when you pet me. I actually enjoyed that moment being bathed with air.  I then heard a voice, “Do you feel better?”  I felt a peaceful embrace. I realized it was you. You were hugging me and kissing me.

 “It’s time to come home.”

And just like that, my ordeal was done. I looked at my paws, and smelled myself, and I realized I was still my old self, after going through that suffering.  I was myself but better.  I was cleansed from the furies that drove me to scratch myself till I bled.

You picked me up from the groomer’s table and I looked at your face, I noticed that you still had tears in your eyes. 

I may not be wise but maybe you can listen to someone who journeyed through the abyss at the groomers and found healing in the end.  Whatever you are going through, should you follow my lead and come clean?  Go through your own abyss   Like me, you will get out of there, and I’ll be waiting for you when you come out to tell you,  “It’s time to come home.”

Inspiration

Body, Heart and Mind are waiting for Inspiration .  They need Inspiration to write but as always, it isn’t easy to get her to appear when they need her.  The last time Inspiration paid them a visit; Body, Heart and Mind had to jump off a cliff.

There isn’t a cliff anywhere near where they are so Body, Heart and Mind do what Mind thinks can draw her in. They bombard her with text messages which say, “Inspiration, we need you.  Please come”.

Time passes, and Inspiration does not come.

                                    

“I’m tired. I want to rest,” says Body, yawning.

“We need you to be awake when Inspiration comes.” Mind says.

Body decides to send a different text message to Inspiration, “Inspiration, we need you.  I’m tired.  Please come soon.”

The phone vibrates and Body reads the response, “Abandon all hope, only then shall I come.”

Mind stands up, paces back and forth, and then blurts out, “What does that mean, abandon hope?  I won’t abandon hope!  I need hope to get this writing done.”

At that moment, Phobos, their pet dog starts tugging at Mind’s pants.

“Mind, I think you should take Phobos for a walk.”

“That’s a good idea Heart.  I don’t think Inspiration is coming. I give up. Come Phobos, let’s go for a walk.”

As soon as Mind and Phobos get out the door, a lady in a tutu appears in the room.

“Hello my friends,”   she greets Body and Heart.

“Oh sweet inspiration, you came.”

“I’m happy to be here. Where is Mind?”

“He went out to take Phobos for a walk.”

“Perfect! It’s hard to make Magic with Mind around.  He always hope that he can control my magic.  I just wish he learns how to give up control sooner and let us do our work.”

“Are you ready to make magic?” Inspiration asks.

“We are ready.”

Inspiration sings a song.  Heart and body dance with each other to her song.  Words start to appear on the screen of the computer.   The trio is surrounded by Inspiration’s creative light.

When inspiration sings the last note, she says, “It is done.”

“This is wonderful,” Heart and Body say.

The door opens and Mind yells.

“Inspiration - you’re here. Let’s start working?”

“Hi Mind.  We’re finished. Read this and tell us what you think.”

Mind reads the piece, “This is horrible. Inconsistent tenses.  Missing punctuations.”

                                        

“My dear friends, I’d love to stay but I need to go,” Inspiration disappears.

Heart says to Mind, “Can you do us a favor and edit the piece? Make it better.”

“I will make it perfect.”

Heart and Body smile. They are happy with the piece but they trust that Mind will not be satisfied with it until he thinks it’s perfect.

“Read this.”

“Good job Mind.  Whatever can we accomplish without you?” Heart gushes.

“Nothing,” Mind says.

                              

“Can I go to sleep now?”  Body says.

“Go ahead and sleep Body.  We are done for today.  We did well.”

I Seek

Hands hold Stick

Blindfold on eyes

A Game to Seek

The paper beast

Stuffed White, Blue, Pink

With hidden treats

A voice speaks:

"Be smart, turn to your right." 

Am I smart? To the right, I turn. 

"Hit it."

Swing the stick with all my might. 

Swoosh! No hit.

An idiot,

Am I?

A voice speaks:

"Turn Left, my Love"

Am I loved?  I go to the left. 

"Hit it."

Swing the stick with all my might. 

Swoosh! No hit.

Unloved, 

Am I?

A voice speaks:

"Turn around, pretty one"

Another one speaks:

"Forward, my dear."

Am I Pretty?

Am I dear?

More voices speak

I follow Each

To be pretty,

To be loved

To be right

But each voice

Leads to Defeat

My arms are weak. 

I ask "What do I seek?" 

My heart speaks.

"Freedom, you seek,

Let go of stick. 

Let your eyes see

See what you seek."

I drop the stick,

I let my eyes see.

The voices that jeer

They're not here.

Mere Phantoms

That lead to defeat. 

Heart's voice is real.

It knows what I seek.

I seek to see

I seek to be free