Isn’t it such a thrill to happen upon an intriguing book by chance? Meandering down the library aisles, scanning titles from that sideways-head position, maybe trailing a finger along the spines… And then one pops at you. You pause, maybe utter a “hmm” under your breath. You pull it out, read the back summary. Oh yes. This is the one for you.
And you know what would make all that even better?
Ruby Browne is a poet and autobiographical essayist who lays herself bare with raw and intimate writings on mental illness, addiction, and healing. With a blog and a recently published book devoted to these experiences, Ruby is no stranger to vulnerability, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I asked her what that’s like for her. Here’s what she had to say:
For this week’s post, here is prose-poem I guest-wrote for Ruby Browne’s blog, about the subconscious ways our emotions find their way out. While you’re there, I highly recommend reading some of Ruby’s writings about mental health. She’s amazing.
“DSC_0087” © Harvy, 2012. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
You heard it before you knew what was happening, before you were even fully conscious, opening your eyes to the dark and to the sound. A ghostly sob behind hypnopompic curtains, fuzzing into your dream like an alarm clock. And maybe it was an alarm, in a way. Not the ring-ring-ring kind, but an alarm of another variety. An alert, a Mayday signal from your subconscious, saying wake up and feel this.
You woke after the crying had already started, the pillow wet beneath your cheek. You tried to keep the noise down, so as not to wake him. Because you wanted to be polite in your grief, because you didn’t want him to ask. Because you didn’t know the answer.
But you also needed to get it out. Out of your body as if it were something…
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Welcome back! Man, feels like the last time I saw you guys was last year! Har har har. Dad jokes.
Today is a special day because it’s exactly one year, to the date, since I posted my debut blog entry. Happy blogiversary to me!
January is a time of gazing adventurously at horizons to come, but it’s also a time for reflecting on the last 12 months. I’m in the mood to get reflecty. Whaddaya say?
Writing progress made in 2015:
Pointing Telescopes | S. Noel Brady 