Originally published April 16, 2018, this collection of pieces was in response to a “Real Neat Blog” nomination courtesy of one of my dearest fellow poets of all times, “A Thought for Change”. I really miss these days, and I miss you, my friend.

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The original piece is below for reference, and can be found in its entirety at https://objectsanddistance.com/2018/04/18/real-neat-blog-award-nomination/

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Today, I was nominated for a Real Neat Blogger award by Thought for Change, of the blog The Rendezvous Club (https://thinkingclearly483645316.wordpress.com). Thank you; it is an honor to receive this nomination, especially from such a spectacular fellow blogger.

About Thought for Change and The Rendezvous Club

Thought for Change is a brilliant young writer who speaks directly from her heart on a variety of subjects and using a diverse range of mediums. She primarily writes poetry, but also posts in journal format and responds frequently to challenges, nominations, and the posts of other bloggers. I have greatly enjoyed following her blog, and highly recommend it to any of my readers who are not already doing so.

Rules

• Display the award logo
• Thank the blogger who nominated you and post a link to their blog
• Answer the questions of the one who nominated you
• Nominate 5-10 bloggers
• Ask them 7 questions

My Responses to Questions Posed

The questions posed by Thought for Change, and my responses thereto, are as follows:

1. What’s you favorite color? Why is it your favorite color?
   

   All Shades of Blue
   It is seldom I’m certain

   Of any one thing

   But this I can say with no doubt

   Blue is a color beyond all other colors

   A color I can’t live without
   –

   I can’t say where it started

   Nor from where it stems

   But my adoration is borderline mad

   Van Gogh knew it best, he loved all the rest

   But ’twas blue he would use when he was sad
   –

   So my world is deep azure

   I wear only that color

   I above all other colors adore

   If you were to dissect me, rearrange and inspect me

   I’ve not doubt you’d find blue to my core

2. For you what’s life without Love?
   

   To Breathe in a Vacuum
   To live without love

   Is to breathe in a vacuum

   To draw in

   Intrinsically

   Instinctively

   What is needed

   For heart to pump

   For thoughts

   For change

   To occur

   You must be willing to accept them

   For who

   For what

   They are

   To nourish and support

   But allow them to operate

   As they were intended

3. What’s that one word which defines you?
   

   Sequential
   Life happens

   In order

   Does it not?
   –

   When we fall

   We all fall

   And when we rise

   We rise together
   –

   The sun begins its journey

   In the east

   And when it has dropped

   Behind the distant horizon

   And the trees grow dim

   Against a backdrop of stars

   When your eyes are finally closed

   And you let go

   Of yourself

   Still clutching tightly

   To the next day

   Does it always remain

   Firmly in your grasp

   Or do you ever wonder

   Whether we sometimes move

   Parallel

   To ourselves
   –

   And the rays that strike your eyes

   When you finally rise up

   And greet the new day

   Do they come

   From the same sun

   As the day before

   Or are you somewhere else

   Are you even

   The same person

   As the night before?
   –

   Rest easy either way

   None of this matters

   What would you do different

   After all

   Were you to know

   Anything at all

   Beyond what you know now?
   –

   Do you not learn each day

   And does this ever change

   The person who you are

   And the decisions that you make?

4. If you know that the world ends in a few days what would you do?
   

   Time is But a Stream
   If time is but a stream

   Into which we are thrown

   Without ceremony

   Without reason

   Without prior consultation

   How are we to know

   How we should react

   How we should act

   Or be acted upon

   Whether to allow

   The waters to rise

   Around us

   Or fight valiantly

   Against

   The constant barrage
   –

   We know

   Nothing

   And everything

   Is subjective
   –

   I know

   Everything

   Eventually

   Comes to an end

5. What’s your take on war?
   

   The War
   A very complicated man once said:

   “The Devil and God are raging inside of me”,

   And having lived a life

   That could hardly be described as simple

   I can certainly relate
   –

   There is

   A hidden war

   Being fought behind our eyelids

   Beyond the flesh and bones

   A battle for

   Control

   Supremacy

   Justice

   And based

   On the assumption

   Of clear right and wrong
   –

   I am sick of it
   –

   I feel

   Like a child

   Caught between separated parents

   Embroiled in the hate

   And the lies

   Unwillingly

   And unwittingly

   A weapon in a war I do not comprehend

   Or necessarily agree with
   –

   So I make a humble petition

   Of my own volition

   That it may be heard

   And accepted

   Only if it is to be so
   –

   I ask

   For peace

   For forgiveness

   And reconciliation;

   I release from my heart

   From the heart of man

   All that is withheld

   And all that has been oppressed
   –

   Are not all things in this world

   Imperfect by nature?

   Perfection is unattainable

   Unreachable

   Unimaginable

   Outside of You

6. If you could choose a person to be your best friend from your blogging community who would it be?
   

   While I Sleep

   While I sleep
   You pour

   Words on blank page

   Laying flat, the world of the waking

   But singing softly-

   Hand stretched upwards-

   The cool night

   Echoes in my drifting mind.
   –

   When I wake

   You are there

   As I expected-

   As I knew you would be-

   Glowing brightly

   Embers from

   Warmth felt

   Across Time and great bodies of water.
   –

   How I love to dream;

   My world expands

   And envelops

   All I know.

   But I would wake

   Forgo all rest

   That I might know.
   –

   Your words

   Your voice

   Falling from your lips

   Your fingertips

   My grateful

   Ears

   Eyes

   Heart

   Open wide.
   –

   You are my first

   My last

   My only love

   Yes, you.

7. What do you like about yourself?
   

   Limits

   I will find the limits
   Of this

   The human body

   The human mind

   The human soul

   I will push beyond

   Into the darkness

   Where fear

   Reigns

   Obsolete and alone

   I will embrace

   All that I find

   A heart

   Not bound

   But not

   Without boundaries

My Nominees and Questions Thereto

Nominees

I nominate the following blogs for the Real Neat Blog Award:

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Author: Froggy Crochet

Blog: Learning From Mistakes (https://froggycrochet.wordpress.com/)

Description: This is a very fun blog read for its honesty and open nature. The author posts in a wide variety of formats on a range of topics, most of them relating to ongoing events in the author’s life but also related to cooking, crafts, and thoughts on the state of reality. There are a number of posts about pets and animals, as the author owns pet rats and a snake.

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Author: Emerging from the Dark Night

Blog: Emerging from the Dark Night (https://emergingfromthedarknight.wordpress.com/)

Description: This is a beautiful poetry blog that mostly addresses topics relates to healing, trauma, introspection, and general philosophy. The author has a very unique and personal language that elevates the reader through a narrative of redemption and growth. I greatly enjoy all of the posts on this blog and highly recommend it as a valuable resource for growth as well as objectively interesting prose.

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Author: Bluebell Rizzi

Blog: Bluebell for a While (https://bluebellforawhile.wordpress.com/)

Description: This blog features a variety of creative writing as well as periodic music recommendations accompanied by full lyrics. I enjoy the juxtaposition between the dark topics covered and the overall positive and uplifting nature of the author’s writing. Posts are also generally accompanied by visual art as well as original written content, which are highly complimentary and visually appealing in presentation.

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Author: The Moonlight Reverie

Blog: The Moonlight Reverie (https://themoonlight847.wordpress.com//)

Description: This blog accurately captures its atmosphere and content in the description on their About page:

Everyone has a story and every story has a beginning, a middle and an end, may not be in the same order. I too am in the process of contemplating my story, I write to explore- explore my thoughts, my own-self. May be I have reached to the beginning of my story, may be not. Well, its a long way ahead and I look forward to know and be a part of other stories. Most of my thoughts surface with the impending moonlight, therefore I begin my journey here under themoonlightreverie.

In summary, this is an excellent blog with consistent posts related to love, loss, pain, and ultimately, hope. Overall it is a worthwhile source of inspiration and motivation with quality content and character.

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Author: Lawrence Illoc

Blog: Being Bipolar. Trying to Break the Stigma (https://bipolaronlineblog.com/)

Description: Lawrence is a heartfelt man who aims to address the stigma associated with bipolar through an honest and transparent view into his life with the illness. His posts can get very dark and seem hopeless, but there is strength and love in his words, love for his family, himself, and those who might benefit from his mission to challenge the generally negative and judgemental perception of bipolar disorder and those affected.

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Questions

The following are the questions I request that the nominees answer in their acceptance post, should they choose to do so.

1. Do you have a writing process, and if so, what is it?
2. How would you best describe your thoughts and the way you process what you experience?
3. If you were able to capture a single memory or piece of yourself in a piece of writing, so that the reader was able to relate perfectly and understand, what would you capture and what form would the writing take?
4. How has your approach to and vision of your blog changed since you first started it?
5. What do you hope to achieve through your writing?
6. What is one goal or vision that you are working towards, what is currently impeding your obtaining it, and what are you doing to overcome the impediment?
7. What is one of your most memorable/favorite pieces of writing and why? If possible, please provide a link!