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Smoke Signal Rising

Quadru-Haiku on Mental Health

By Kristen BalyeatPublished about a year ago Updated about a year ago 1 min read
First Place in Quadru-haiku Challenge
127
Smoke Signal Rising
Photo by Gleb Lukomets on Unsplash

My wounds gather stones

and blindly build walls. Alone,

can’t chisel their hold.

//

Flame of my spirit

dimmed, closed in by my trowel-

smoke signal rising...

//

Waters of kindness

split mortar, trickling a salve

that softens the stone.

//

Breeze of connection

finds breaks in the walls. Love, the

bellows for embers.

love poemssad poetryinspirationalheartbreakfact or fiction
127

About the Creator

Kristen Balyeat

Words fly to me on the wind, bump into me as I'm strolling the city, splash me in the face while I rest by the river, and shake me awake in the middle of the night– I’m humbly one of the many vessels they use to come to life.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  3. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  4. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

  5. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

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Comments (51)

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  • Rachel Glowacki4 months ago

    Wow, felt the elements in my bones.

  • Grz Colm5 months ago

    Well hello emerging creator! Seen this truly excellent work before! Nice! 😁🎉👏

  • JBaz5 months ago

    I was so pleased to see your name on this list, you are an absolute star in the making, and I am so happy i was able to read your works. Looking forward to more great things from you in 2024 Jason

  • Mark R. Cieslak9 months ago

    My wounds gather stones and blindly build walls...damn. Wow.

  • Gigi Gibson12 months ago

    What an awesome piece! It really jumped out at me when I read it twice... that's when I saw your subheading on mental health. It all made sense to me and it's so current. Well done. Well spoken.

  • Novel Allenabout a year ago

    I missed this breathtakingly beautiful Haiku. I found it at the right moment though. We are all connected. Your words speak volumes. Blessings on your winning thoughts.

  • Ricardo de Moura Pereiraabout a year ago

    very good

  • Grz Colmabout a year ago

    I missed this beautiful haiku. Congrats on your prize too! 😊✨

  • Amelia Mooreabout a year ago

    the first line is awesome. i'm completely in love with it. the rest of the piece is amazing too, of course, but your first haiku is my favorite. beautiful piece.

  • Pamela Walsh-Holteabout a year ago

    Congratulations on 1st place! Well done!

  • Paul Stewartabout a year ago

    Sorry so late on this! Congrats as this is special and I can relate to it! Well done!

  • Roy Stevensabout a year ago

    Holy smokes (sorry, couldn't resist) but I see how this won the challenge. That was so good! 👏

  • Chloe Rose Violet 🌹about a year ago

    This was utterly enchanting! Well deserved the win in my opinion! 🥰🔥

  • R. J. Raniabout a year ago

    Beautiful and nostalgic - I love the how you themed each of the haikus after an element. So clever! Very well deserved win! Congratulations 🤗

  • Ahna Lewisabout a year ago

    Beautiful! 🧡 I can easily see why this is an award-winning haiku collection! Excellent work!

  • C. Rommial Butlerabout a year ago

    Very well done! You told a story with few words in an elegant dance. Lovely!

  • Mariann Carrollabout a year ago

    Congratulations 🎉🎊

  • suman mohanabout a year ago

    Beautiful lines👌

  • KEVIN FRENCHabout a year ago

    Written in a beautiful manner.

  • Testabout a year ago

    Beautiful in every way!

  • P. Tottiabout a year ago

    Congratulations! This was truly well done.

  • Lauraabout a year ago

    Congratulations on your achievement! I'm so proud of you for all the hard work and dedication that led you to this moment.

  • Kris Lelielabout a year ago

    Fantastic imagery!! This hits home. Well done.

  • ARCabout a year ago

    Wow. Beautiful work. So... *true* to the experience. Thank you for sharing.

  • Isaac Haldeman about a year ago

    So good!

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