Mythos & Marginalia

life notes; flaws and all

j.g. lewis

original content and images ©j.g. lewis

a daily breath...

A thought du jour, my daily breath includes collected and conceived observations, questions of life, fortune cookie philosophies, reminders, messages of peace and simplicity, unsolicited advice, inspirations, quotes and words that got me thinking. They may get you thinking too . . .

I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.

j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.

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My January Breath
Posted on January 29, 2022 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment

   Snowflakes. Only movement.
        Twilight comes until twilight goes.
      Daylight leaves too early. Swiftly.
      The deeper the night, the colder
           the darkness.

My January breath suspended,
         my thoughts wishing to go
    somewhere. Anywhere, other
        than here. A deafening
           winter silence.

       The air is slow. Still. Almost.
            Alone, even in the shadow
            of the streetlamps. Nobody to
                shield your ears from the cold
          or dampen the inevitable.

Pointless the task, reviewing patterns
    and paths carved into the cartography of
      the ego. Realization. What once was
            may never be. This season
               stays the longest.

Even with full sunlight. The wind,
    should it decide, rips through me.
Harsh. I am not here. Not really.
            Permanent as my
                 January breath.

Flurries obscure constellations and
the Moon. Isolation. The circumference
         of my being is reduced, Limited.
            Blinded by temporal beauty,
         or tears.

   Nothing has happened, or is
        happening. The brazen chill
   clashes with body heat, the atmosphere
       the victor. Obvious. The world
              still gets in your eyes.

Time agape with a grey known only
      to the night. A solitary trek through the
      ordinary. Undisturbed. Each step resonates
           the soul-crushing scream
   of a thousand snowflakes.

      Beneath winter’s fickle façade, the ice
   cracks, The fragility of the planet apparent.
Vulnerable. Each season has precious moments.
            Gone. Time stands still. This is
                   my January breath.

©2015 j.g. lewis

All Talk
Posted on January 26, 2022 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment

We are supposed to talk; today especially.
   What’s bothering you?
   May I ask, or should I tell you my opinion on mental health?
   Ask or answer, the stigma or stereotypes surrounding mental health issues will haunt you no matter how progressive we are told this society (any society) has become.
   We are all damaged, right now.
   We are fragile.
   We read about it, we hear about it on the endless stream of mental health updates we are inundated each time we click on the device, channel, or format, of our choice.
   Employers love to boast about all they are doing to help, packaging up pat answers, outsourcing online support systems, and stuffing them into some diversity and inclusion policy they are trying to use to show how progressive and forward-thinking they are. But only if it fits in the advertising budget.
   It is all talk when we need action.
   All. Of. Us.
   What can I say about this mental hell?
   We’ve been living through one of the greatest global health challenges we have ever faced over the past two years and still we don’t know where we are headed.
   All this misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories and outright lies do nothing but confuse.
   We have politicians spending more time crafting a good sound bite than they are trying to understand the implications of what it is they are trying to say.
   All talk. No action.
   I am in the age 54 years plus category that, according to pundits and poll-makers, are less likely to talk about their feelings.
   I’m not sure it is safe to do so.
   Who do we tell?
   Who should we tell?
   Politicians? Healthcare professions?
   We can talk to each other; in fact we should, but maybe we should just keep listening.
   A good answer or idea is due to come around any day now.
   My ears are open.

© 2022 j,g, lewis

Uncertainty
Posted on January 15, 2022 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment

A proverbial line in the sand, twists and bends
a rubber band, ideals and morals
stretching and straining
until it snaps.
You, there now, wondering
what to accept.
Everything you hope, along with
anything you don’t
blurred.
No tears, not that you will admit, still
the vision is not clear. Where you are,
what can you see?
It can only be
uncertainty.

Within our dead wisdom and cluttered minds
boundaries are defined, so we can know
who to allow
into our lives,
or how far we will let them go
before we say no.
Always within the shadow of the question,
exorbitant explanations
were true before,
but now?
Was it not evermore? What we don’t see
cannot hurt us, still the pain resonates.
It can.
And will.

Have you forsaken those with a powerful presence
for fear you will be crushed? Are you not
strong enough?
You won’t know until you try.
Do you compromise your self
for a quick rush, to see how it feels, Did
did you like where
it touched? A temporary crutch?
Promises may have been illusions,
or may have been true.
Grieving dreams,
you second-guess the honesty,
a reply to which
you won’t believe.

Is darkness looming at the door, or
is it light? It’s been there before,
and the vices chosen
to medicate
and the thoughts once used to meditate
don’t take away what is there.
You look both ways, crossing
a road travelled many times before.
Will you open up the sturdy door?
Or question how you will, or did,
or can
have the courage to ask. With
more trials than tasks,
what will you accept?

© 2016 j.g. lewis