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c o n t r o l

stream of consciousness

By Kristen BalyeatPublished 3 months ago Updated 3 months ago 1 min read
Top Story - February 2024
45
c o n t r o l
Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash

flailing in the river

struggling in the fight

i’ve forgotten how to float

now i’m fighting for my life

the rapids pull me under

i can't remember how to swim

my feet won’t touch the bedrock

as the currents suck me in

i’ve fought this very river

so many times before

but my vision is muddied once again

i can’t make out the shore

surrender shouts my name

yet I refuse the raft

my fists are clenched and letting go

feels just outside my grasp

so i drown in my control

you’d think i’d learn with time

but once again i sink into the depths

losing to the tide

***************************************

I need to remember to tap in to this piece I wrote last year:

Stream of ConsciousnessMental HealthCONTENT WARNING
45

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. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

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Comments (32)

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  • Abolarin Ebenezer3 months ago

    https://vocal.media/humans/the-symphony-of-collaboration-humans-and-ai-in-harmonious-unity

  • This line in particular, "surrender shouts my name" is incredibly powerful. Great poem and congrats on the Top Story!

  • Atomic Historian3 months ago

    Congrats on the Top Story. I like seeing what people do with the same photo. Did you write this then choose the photo? Or did the photo inspire the poem?

  • Christy Munson3 months ago

    Congratulations on TS. Your writing has such buoyancy. There's delicacy and depth. Your word choice draws me in, allowing me to feel a party to your first-person narrator's experience. Beautifully written.

  • Matthew Mccahey3 months ago

    Surrendering control has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Amazing poem!

  • Caroline Jane3 months ago

    Really well done. I can feel the crush of that tide!

  • ROCK 3 months ago

    Perfect tempo and dreadfully full of despair. Congratulations 👏👏👏👏👏

  • D.K. Shepard3 months ago

    Intense and incredibly rhythmic! Great poem!

  • Paul Stewart3 months ago

    Back to say, darn well done pally! Congrats on Top Story!

  • Anna 3 months ago

    Such an intense poem! Congrats on Top Story!!🥳

  • Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊

  • JBaz3 months ago

    As always a mesmerizing read full of emotions. Congratualtions

  • Gerard DiLeo3 months ago

    The struggle and whether it's worth fighting... Nicely done.

  • This flows so well, great job. Congrats on your top story

  • Cathy holmes3 months ago

    There ya go. Congrats on the TS.

  • Test3 months ago

    Kudos! Keep excelling in your work—congratulations!

  • Lindsay Sfara3 months ago

    This is so well done, beautiful writing!

  • Grz Colm3 months ago

    Head up please! 😁😊 I can’t talk! 😉 Splendidly done Kristen. Hope you are going well too.

  • Reading this felt like all the moments life overwhelms you. Beautifully brilliant Kristen

  • This was both so liberating and relatable. It reminded me of one of my poems as well. Hope things get better for you. Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️

  • Sometimes we do need to fight the current, the flow of humanity as it hungers after selfish endeavors. Yet even then we would do well to remember that we're not in control, nor are we alone, & that accepting help is not a sign of weakness but of strength.

  • Andrea Corwin 3 months ago

    Nice writing. Let go, sink, hit the bottom, and you will POP back UP!😍

  • Cathy holmes3 months ago

    Beautifully written. Life can be over overwhelming at times. Just float with the current.

  • Hannah Moore3 months ago

    Roll on your back and float! I mean that metaphorically, of course.

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