Life is unpredictable,
It changes with the seasons,
Even your coldest winter
Happens for the best of reasons,
And though it feels eternal,
Like all you’ll ever do is freeze,
I promise spring is coming,
And with it, brand new leaves.— Erin Hanson —
Continue reading “[Writer’s Quote Wednesday] Spring”
In the dark, I followed the stars,
Twinkling steadily and kindly,
Lighting the path to a place so far,
To a place waiting patiently for me.
Twinkling steadily and kindly,
The stars guide me as I make my way
To a place waiting patiently for me,
I know I am meant to arrive one day. Continue reading “[Poetry] Coming Home”
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.— Langston Hughes —
His words wielded spiny thorns
Out of spite and hatred they were born.
They failed against these words of mine
For love trumps hate every time.
© Jade M. Wong Continue reading “[Poetry] Thorns & Love”
Laughter rings in one corner
Of card games and revelry,
In another corner, gossip
Is exchanged with cups of tea.
Golden mandarins are piled
Next to plates of unfinished food,
And incense slowly burns,
Trailing serenity through the room.
Yet, I cannot help but wonder
As a new year settles on me,
Will this be the year I discover
Who I am meant to be?
© Jade M. Wong Continue reading “[Poetry] New Year Musings”
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
The weight of your world
On my shoulders
Placed there with good intentions
And tough love,
The weight of your hopes
And dreams
Bending my back
Eternally, Continue reading “[Poetry] Heavy”
Forget the politics. Forget if you’re red or blue or a different color altogether. Becoming, by Michelle Obama speaks to the part of us that’s beyond that, to the humanity at our core. This is not so much a book about being a Former First Lady of the United States, but much more so a book about the incredible and inspirational story of a girl who could have been (and could still be) any of us—a girl who grew up not having much, who faltered and second-guessed herself, and who took the long way ’round to live a remarkable life.
I took my time reading this book, letting myself cry when a particularly poignant moment washed over me, pondering the existential questions Michelle asked herself (and in extension, us), and re-reading portions that encouraged me to reflect on my own self. Continue reading “My Favorite Quotes From Becoming, By Michelle Obama”
She did not bloom in the warmth of spring—
Her petals did not wave at the bees
And butterflies fluttering by,
And she did not bask in the sun,
While the birds chirped their lullabies.
She was more suited to the chill of winter—
Her petals glistened with icy snowflakes
With thorns as sharp as icicles,
For she was a rose that bloomed in adversity,
Thriving where no one thought possible.
© Jade M. Wong Continue reading “[Poetry] Winter Rose”
Remember not to compare yourself to strangers on the internet.
Remember not to let the numbers—of likes, of followers, of zeros on a check—make you feel like you are less than, because you are not. You are absolutely enough.
Remember that J.K. Rowling used to be a single mother, depressed and trying to survive on welfare benefits, while the Harry Potter series was rejected by 12 different publishers.
Remember that…
“There is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever. There are only small steps upward; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, a mirror that doesn’t matter anymore.”
—Laurie Halse Anderson— Continue reading “Reminders”
