(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Poetry: What Now – Ink – Rebirth [1] ['Chitown Kev', 'Belinda Ridgewood'] Date: 2026-06-18 What now? Do you need someone to rekindle your spirit? Flip a switch and turn on the lights? Are those close to you not enough to do so? Just how many switches do you need to flip? Do you need someone to relight your fire? Strike a match and stoke those embers? Look at the faces of the children around you Just how many matches do you need to strike? Do you need something to reaffirm your resolve? Pour some confidence and restore your faith? Is the fate of your country not enough for you? How many prayers do you need to hear? Stop wallowing in the things you can’t change Start thinking on how to mitigate the damage Start strategizing how to counter the future Start planning for the next battle The reasons you were fighting for yesterday They are still there and alive today The war still needs to be won Even when a battle is lost Tired or exhausted, matters naught! Rise up soldier, we are not done Pick yourself up, we are not done As long as the war lasts That’s how long we fight! November 16th, 2024 Muriel Vieux ©All Rights Reserved Rebirth Scream out loud your rage filled with silence From your throat closed with burning anger Spill the tears from the dried well of your eyes Hurl into the void your unheard voice Bury into the ground your hidden feelings Smash the wind with violent pain Rip your skin from yourself to hide your scars Tear your heart out to stop the flow of emotions Cast out your soul in a final act of rebellion Erase your memories to forget their tales Burn your souvenirs with the fire of your rage Extinguish every remnant of remembrance Sit on the earth bare and empty of self Lay on the ground naked empty of thought Stare and the sky devoid of even thoughts Drag from the clouds the tears you lack Pull from the night a blanket of comfort Steal from the sun the warmth you lack Let nature take its course Filling you once more With pieces of yourself Gathered by the wind November 12th, 2024 Muriel Vieux ©All Rights Reserved The Ink is for you The ink is for you The reader The writer Doesn’t use ink We use emotions To write Each word Laid carefully A mosaic Of feelings Each phrase A painting Of sentiments Each strophe A sculpture Of a moment Captured In an instant Of intense Emotion The ink is for you The reader The writer Already knows The story October 3rd, 2024 Muriel Vieux ©All Rights Reserved [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/18/800057189/community/poetry-what-now-ink-rebirth/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/