Crescent Moon by Valerie Parente
The way you sparkle
when you’re incomplete
has a lovely way
of teaching me
what it’s like
to be truly free
comfortable in oneself
no matter who recedes
and I think that’s why
you knew i was ready
for a stronger light
to expand the scene.
– Valerie Parente (4-1-2022)
This Body by Valerie Parente
This body is nothing
without me
and that’s how I know
I have meaning.
– Valerie Parente (12-30-2021)
Features “Sitting on Skulls and Bones”
and “Not Bionic”
from Moonchild Manifesto on Amazon.com
Features “The Spider Princess”, “The Moon & The Third Eye”,
and “The Beauty of Darkness (I)”
from Moonchild Manifesto on Amazon.com
“Moonchild Manifesto” on Amazon.com
Have you been enjoying my poetry? I love to post my work on valerieparente.com to act as a free library for my writing and art. That being said, if you would like a HARD COPY of my latest work (200+ poetry and prose pieces) you can support me by purchasing Moonchild Manifesto: A Poetry & Prose Collection on Amazon.com. (LINK HERE) Coping with the trauma that arises when you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder during a pandemic and heartbreak and also dealing with the leftover trauma from OCD and anorexia growing up are major themes in Moonchild Manifesto. There is a progression throughout the collection that begins with recognizing pain and heartbreak, transforms into reflection and how your mind could ever get to such a traumatized and obsessive point, and graduates into hopefulness through fantastical allegory-poem hybrids and personal poetic affirmations. Along with stomping out mental health stigma this collection has undertones of feminism, free speech activism, spirituality, and commentary on living through a pandemic. This is easily my favorite project thus far and I would love to share it with the world.
If you liked any of the following pieces on my website you will love them in a full collection that follows a trajectory from The Hurt, The Heal, into The Hope. Some fan favorite poems in Moonchild Manifesto are:
– Valerie Parente (7-5-2021)
Moonchild Manifesto by Valerie Parente is a body of work that documents the parallel between two acts: feeling a profound connection and making it your whole mood, and taking a topic and making it your artistic muse. There is a similarity between poetry and the spell we call love. A Moonchild is hyper-sensitive to this similarity and understands how it is equally enchanting as it is taxing. Divided into three moon phases, this poetry and prose collection follows the subconscious trajectory of The Hurt, The Heal, and The Hope.
Valerie Parente’s third poetry and prose collection manifested out of what she does best, mixing psychology, spirituality, and fantasy to make sense of her mental experiences as both a human being with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a whimsically dark artist.
Rose Buds by Valerie Parente
I collect rose buds
for the fun
and I feel immortal
like I am one
with the showcase
of my collection
that’s why I display
the things I love
infinite treasures
flow and flux
perpetual motifs
personification
they mirror me
like a reflection
objects with stories
never fully done.
It’s not hoarding
it’s admiration
for the symbols
in my vision.
– Valerie Parente (6-28-2021)
From A Mile Away by Valerie Parente
When you realized I was your teammate
I saw it coming from a mile away,
that’s why I tried to steer you towards a path
when it wasn’t really my place to ask,
and now I understand I was too compromised
by an infatuation that soared beyond my pride,
and when it all blew up in the worst way
I saw it coming from a mile away.
I understand now why I didn’t stick around
and even though it brought on a pain so profound,
I’m so glad I learned how to rely on no one else
to take care of my ever-evolving mental health.
– Valerie Parente (3-30-2021)
Where I Come From by Valerie Parente
I made it personal on purpose,
so you could see the grace and the grit,
made the heartache so worth it,
’cause it’s an artist you played with.
Here’s the muse I choose to use,
thank you for seeing these metaphors through,
it got rough when I spoke the truth,
because of how much I love you.
Now it’s copyrighted to my tongue,
never resent where I come from,
using the fire in my lungs,
let’s flip the pages for fun.
My collection, my protection,
from any potential detriment,
it brought me the ideal lesson,
that’s the power of manifesting.
– Valerie Parente (6-16-2021)
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