Cry Wolf by Valerie Parente
I’ve said it once
and I’ll say it again:
People want to be a hero so badly,
they’ll create a villain.
Because when you cry wolf
in a self-righteous hoax
you don’t really undermine
the real bad guys.
– Valerie Parente (7-1-2020)
Reflecting by Valerie Parente
When she reflects on her behavior
she sees her full figure
a girl who longed to be the healer
of someone as dear as a stranger
a person who liked to treat her
like she was just a feature
of what he saw in the mirror
until he found someone weaker
whose insecurity stroked his ego deeper
and now she couldn’t see it any clearer
that this hellish pain is what freed her.
– Valerie Parente (6-30-2020)
For anyone interested in supporting my mission to find beauty in darknes, I just made a Patreon account. No pressure to join, I just figured I should make the option available as an artist in this day and age. http://www.patreon.com/valerieparente
The overarching theme to all my artwork- whether it is poetry, prose, stories, drawings, paintings, or photography- is finding beautiful darkness. I love finding the positive in dark moods, situations, and imagery. This is evident in my written work on my website, valerieparente.wordpress.com, and in my novels available on Amazon (“The Artist, The Muse”, “In Touch”, and “Rather Be Haunted”. I draw inspiration from a lifelong and personal struggle with very severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anorexia. Each body of work I create centers around mental illness.
The Artist, The Muse : a poetry and prose collection about what it is like to have a mental disorder that influences your art.
In Touch : a fiction novel about a female with OCD, based on my real-life struggle with OCD, through the eyes of a male without the disorder.
Rather Be Haunted : a poetry and prose collection that explores love, heartache, and death from the perspective of a girl with OCD that feels “haunted” by the motifs in life that define her humanity, including my signature Mannequin Art (used as a commentary on what it means to learn how to be a “normal” human).
Thank you from the bottom of my heart if you are interested in my journey to discover beauty in darkness.
No Longer Walking On Glass by Valerie Parente
I don’t feel like I’m walking on glass any more.
I don’t feel like I need to protect an ego so fragile it would break if I smile
and I realize that relationships are supposed to be good, not a constant battle.
I walk along freely and I realize how easy it is connecting with someone who respects me
and it’s not that you were bad
your words were just sharp as glass and my skin was too sensitive for that.
I tip-toed carefully when I should have been able to run free
but now that I’m done with that routine I can finally move on with ease.
– Valerie Parente (6-24-2020)
Red Flags by Valerie Parente
Next time I see warning signs I need to realize
that this frustration makes me see red;
that’s why the red flags were easier to protect
because the color wasn’t something I noticed.
– Valerie Parente (6-22-2020)
Time Heals Your Pain by Valerie Parente
The universe knows how to heal the soul
by using a dimension called “time”.
We’re so used to this everlasting flow
that we forget it makes us divine.
Because time and time again
this world sends me the same message
that this pain will come to an end
as long as time progresses.
How incredible it is to realize
that the thing I wanted most a month ago
has transformed in my mind
as the worst case scenerio.
So next time you think you’re finished
and you think you’ve reached your demise
just remember we’ve been put on a planet
where the sun will always rise.
– Valerie Parente (6-20-2020)
I Said What I Needed to Say by Valerie Parente
I think a lot of people have a hard time walking away
because they could never said what they wanted to say…
but I found my words
I’m only upset because I don’t think they were heard.
– Valerie Parente (6-19-2020)
Played by Valerie Parente
If you’re trying to be a playmate
don’t be surprised when he plays dumb
even though he knew every single day
he played with your feelings for fun
This was always just a big game
and now its time for you to unplug.
– Valerie Parente (6-19-2020)
Forward by Valerie Parente
You don’t have to explain yourself,
the past is in the past,
it’s time to enjoy life again,
so don’t you dare look back.
When you want to regress,
just remember the fact,
that love is supposed to feel good,
it’s not a battle to be had.
You romanticized the struggle,
you let the feelings drag,
because it felt safer in this circle,
when you ran another lap.
There will be moments of doubt,
you’ll be tempted to go off-track,
but if you keep moving foward,
then you’re on the right path.
You’re not running away from problems,
you’re making a future that will last,
those old feelings were addicting,
and there’s no time to relapse.
– Valerie Parente (6-17-2020)
Typical Feeling by Valerie Parente
It’s not fair for me to attach myself to memories
because the things that are important to me
aren’t necessarily admired equally
it doesn’t matter how strongly I believe
feelings are not facts, they’re just brain chemistry
and maybe if I accept that as my reality
then I wouldn’t seem like this OCD creep
memorizing feelings that nobody else reads
it’s a habit that’s no longer helping me breathe
because appreciating details gets pretty lonely
and reading your energy exerts my energy.
I guess it was just a typical feeling
that I glorified beyond its meaning
then modified my priorities like a chameleon
and fell for traits that promote teasing
a mistake I’ve made before, despite reason
but this time I finally stopped believing
and I’ll never go back to daydreaming
because this match was never even
just a rigged game I used for healing
and in that way I was also scheming.
I guess there’s nothing special about my demons.
– Valerie Parente (6-16-2020)
valerieparente 