I’m pleased and honored to announce that my poem, The Girl on the Bus, has been published today on Spillwords. I want to thank Dagmara K. and the staff at Spillwords for publishing it. Please visit Spillwords and show them your support. Thanks!
The Girl on the Bus
by Dawn Pisturino
The bus driver watched you in the mirror,
His eyes wide with fear,
When you stood up in the middle of the bus,
Crying like a terrified child.
Passengers waited with bated breath,
Wondering what you would do.
The sharpness of your pain . . .
Please visit Spillwords here to read the rest. Thank you so much!
Have a beautiful day!
Dawn Pisturino
November 17, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Here in my heart Is a tiny prayer That the world would Grow in kindness and love, That the pain of a million Voices would cease, And laughter run wild Over all the world.
I closed my mind and heart Because I could not bear To hear the tears Or feel the pain around me. I lived in a void For many years, But nothing changed. The world remained the same, Even when I was not.
I lived in the safe world Of grocery stores and J.C. Penney, Counting my money, And learning how to spend it. I bore my child And adored my loving husband. They became for me My fixtures, my sanity, The sum total of my life. But life does not end With safety and happiness, For while you are safe, Others are in danger. While you are happy, Others suffer. And it is not right, No, it is not right To shut the door behind you.
A heart in anguish Is a heart which feels The pain of a million suffering people And knows that death is near. A heart in anguish Touches the open wound, Binds the broken limb, Tastes the salty tears, And does it lovingly, Reverently, without fear. The heart in anguish knows life And death and suffering, But lives ultimately, and dies happy.
Dawn Pisturino 1985; March 9, 2022 Copyright 1985-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Everything changes. Nothing is permanent. No matter how much we desire for things to remain the same, they never will. New life is born, old life dies. Friends come and go. Children grow up and leave home. Marriages end; lovers split apart. Therefore life — because it changes — can never bring us anything but suffering.
In reality, it is not life itself which brings us suffering but our own attachments, desires, perceptions, and expectations. The more we get, the more we want. The more we expect, the greater our disappointment. The more we attach ourselves to other people and objects, the harder it is to give them up.
For example, we go deeply into debt buying things we can’t afford, then needlessly suffer from the worry, anxiety, and stress of trying to pay for them. When we finally pay them off, we see something else we want — and begin the cycle all over again!
Our suffering can only end when we extinguish our desires; embrace the reality of birth and death, illness and old age; and accept the inevitability of change.
We cannot control the big stuff, but we can control the small stuff.
Simplify. How much stuff is in your closets that you spent lots of money on that you never use anymore? Did you ever use it? Did you really need it in the first place? Clean out your closets and dispose of excess clutter. Donate items to the local thrift store.
Avoid Debt. You can never find peace of mind while coping with a pile of debt. If you can’t afford to pay cash, then you probably don’t really need it. Save the credit cards for emergencies. Pay off all unnecessary bills. Open a savings account. Just saying “no” to things we don’t really need is liberating.
Show love and compassion toward others. Understand that we are all in this life together. None of us asked to be born. Nobody wants to suffer. And there is only one way out.
Be truthful and honest. Avoid causing harm to others through your words and deeds. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Stop doing all those little things which cause unnecessary worry, stress, and pain.
Take things in stride. Instead of resisting change, embrace it! View it as an opportunity to make a fresh start. Have a sense of humor. Go out of your way to make others smile.
Have a happy, prosperous, and serene 2022!
Dawn Pisturino, RN March 15, 2007; January 4, 2022 Copyright 2007-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
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