Features “Grandiosity of the Sick”, “Glitter In The Air”, and “she could not master astral projection”
from The Artist, The Muse on Amazon.com
Homesick
Homesick by Valerie Parente
They say home is a state of mind
but I’ve been homesick for quite some time
trying to find solace in words and rhymes
because a replacement for you is so hard to find.
I’m just a poet looking for a place to belong
a mindset I’ve compensated for, for so long
ever since that one safe haven went wrong
and our house burned to the ground.
It’s been 12 years wandering the same path
and I wonder when I’ll finally get sick of that,
I think it’s time to hold my breath and go back
and find peace of mind in that other half.
– Valerie Parente (8-25-2020)
Poetry Reading & Analysis (Potential In Action ~ Good Grief ~ Playing With Storms (Diagnose Me) (VIDEO)
Features “Potential In Action”, “Good Grief”,
and “Playing With Storms (Diagnose Me)”
from Rather Be Haunted on Amazon.com
Missing You
Missing You by Valerie Parente
On anniversaries like today it feels like you’re missing
but it’s not a matter of missing you;
I just miss when the means to recognize you were easier.
You still exist within me,
just in a different shape and form
in a realm that isn’t easily perceived on earth.
– Valerie Parente (8-23-2020)
Provocateur
Provocateur by Valerie Parente
The more they say I can’t paint that way
the more I’m going to become a public display
because the controversial thrives in me
and I make pictures from a world of make-believe.
If you say this body of art needs to stop
then congratulations, you just elongated that prompt.
I can take a thought from my own head
and plant it inside yours using the magic of words.
If this world tries to censor my sensitivities
then a storm of more expression is about to empty me.
– Valerie Parente (8-22-2020)
The Very Real Reality
The Very Real Reality by Valerie Parente
I talk openly about my mental health
in the hopes that it helps
the people who have a hard time with words
who need a voice that understands the hurt.
These themes revolve around love and loss
and how it replays in obsessive thoughts.
To some it may not seem pretty
but a light needs to be shined on OCD
instead of just ridiculed and teased
because this is the very real reality.
These are not personal attacks, they’re symptoms of a mental disorder
it’s not commentary on anybody except the sufferer.
I pray you can separate yourself from my mental health journey and find solace in this truth,
that when it comes down to brain chemistry, this has nothing to do with you.
You deserve to lead a life that is happy and free
but please, don’t look for that through me.
– Valerie Parente (8-21-2020)
I Don’t Care About “I’m Sorry”
I Don’t Care About “I’m Sorry” by Valerie Parente
Over a decade of deep hurt
frustration that became a part of me
I longed for an explanation to return
but I don’t care about “I’m sorry”.
I realize I’m not going to be cured
by someone else’s apology.
I need to do the inner work
to become the savior I want to be
and I’m flattered by the remorse
but I can’t depend on a back and forth
to remind me of my self-worth
when I can find solace in my own words.
– Valerie Parente (8-20-2020)
Poetry Reading & Analysis (The Silver Screen ~ Ink ~ Mars) (VIDEO)
Features “The Silver Screen”, “Ink”, and “Mars”
from The Artist, The Muse on Amazon.com
For the Love of Fantasy
For The Love of Fantasy by Valerie Parente
Nothing has ever made me feel more alive,
than turning a stream of consciousness into fantasy rhymes,
bringing to life dark fairytales that pull at heartstrings,
taking a subtle mood and honing the art of exaggerating.
The beautiful quality of fantasy and daydreamed worlds
is that nothing is literal, it’s all a hypothetical metaphor,
and just because I am the narrator of something literary
does not mean I’ve mistaken my story with reality.
I’m inspired by what’s in my psyche, not the world outside
creating scripts for daydreamers who don’t feel whole in real life.
– Valerie Parente (8-13-2020)
Still With Me
Still With Me by Valerie Parente
I can’t believe its almost been a year
since I lost my ability to see the most important part of me,
the girl that gave me purpose
and reminded me that you can experience true love without the romance.
I love you Abby, and I still miss you terribly
but I know you will always exist within me,
just not in a way my five senses can perceive.
I love you, and I feel you every day
and I’ll never stop thanking you for the love you gave.
You were an angel here on earth, and now you get to be one infinitely,
I miss you sweet girl, but I know you’re where you’re meant to be.
– Valerie Parente (8-11-2020)
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