Past and Present Entwined
I look through old photographs while in search of something forgotten.
Memories hunt, wanting, flaming, pressing forcefully to resurface as
past regrets, precious moments embedded within wounded feelings of lost love burn.
What could have been, not what is. My strength grew so frail. It’s hard to go on.
Innocent children, full of life, were so unaware of what’s to come.
Separation.
I would give up all to make the memories of your absence only but a dream,
a nightmare with sweet awakening giving birth to a new appreciation,
holding each other’s gaze as rubies and emeralds flowing through time into eternity.
Love with selfless love, giving all that we are and all that we have.
Peace in our minds, hearts, and in the quietness of the night a whisper, “I’m here with you.”
The touch of my hand with ease sweeping through your soft curly hair,
your little hands caressing my face, cradling it as though at this moment, time stands still.
A gentle kiss that heals all wounds and wipes away tears,
the grasp of a hand that assures safety, protection, and care.
Now I look back through shades of gray, lifting the veil slowly,
with each moment enhancing the pain.
Your sweet laughter has disappeared from within these walls that still
hold your memories and all that you loved.
First published in Unlimited Literature on September 24th, 2020 in their first print/electronic issue.
The Author
E. Izabelle Cassandra Alexander writes short stories, creative nonfiction essays, flash fiction, plays, and poetry. She’s also working on a few novels and a series of children's books along with illustrations.
In January 2013, Izabelle became a member of Writer’s Anonymous and several other writing and poetry groups thereafter. She also founded a small writing group in 2017, Izabelle’s Oakton Creative Writing Group (ask to join if you live near the Des Plaines campus, do not need to be enrolled at the college) and created a public Facebook page for sharing about writing, Poetry, Flash Fiction, Short Stories, which you can find at fb.me/E.IzabelleAlexander. She also has another private Facebook group connected to her author’s Facebook page, Izabelle’s Readers/Authors Corner, for writers and readers, where she shares writing prompts, information about the craft, calls for submissions and contests, publications, etc. Admissions to this group are on a case-by-case basis. Qualifications: You must love writing and/or reading. She also meets online, one-on-one with a few of her writing friends to do critiques, writing prompts, and learn together about the intricacies of writing.
She’s also active on Scribophile(https://www.scribophile.com/authors/izabelle-alexander/) where writers critique each other’s work (a valuable resource), and on Discord.
Izabelle has been participating in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) each year since November 2013, at the annual NaNoWriMo showcase by the Des Plaines Public Library, at the Beautiful Minds events at Oakton Community College, and has been nominated several times by Oakton to compete at Skyway Competitions in the last seven years.
Izabelle’s work has been published in Spark Literary Journal, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020, on the Illinois State Poetry Society’s (ISPS) website, 2017, 2018, and in their Anthology, Distilled Lives, 2018, in Yearning to Breathe Free by The Moonstone Art Center, 2019, by The Scarlet Leaf Review in 2018 and 2020, WOW! Women on Writing, 2019, 2020, 2021, The Book Smuggler's Den, 2019, in Unlimited Literature Magazine(UL-Mag) 2020, Ariel's Dream Literary Journal 2020, Beautiful Words by Ariel Publishing 2020, Tint Journal 2020, Pages & Spine 2020, Unlimited Literature in 2021, and more.
Find Izabelle on her Author Website: izabelle2012.wixsite.com/izabelle and on Patreon at www.patreon.com/IzabelleAlexander and connect with her by visiting her page at fb.me/E.IzabelleAlexander on Facebook and on Twitter.com/IzabelleAlexan3
E. Izabelle Cassandra Alexander, Illinois
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