Poems & Perceptions
Gods of war lost their manners ripping worlds apart,
Shameful, stood there watching mothers crippled dreams way from the start,
Guilty of walking past, the tears that burn the streets,
Why do you pick up the pace of ignorance?
Why don’t you slow down?
Why don’t you stop?
Why don’t you please ask?
Remove your mask…
Blades they bleed of grief not glory.
End of story.
© Michelle Sotiriou 2019
So you think you’re ugly? Most of us do at some point in our lives and it seems age doesn’t really matter when you feel this way which is why I was guided to this video. A video which reminded me how I felt as a girl and adolescent. I could never take a compliment, could never look someone in the eye when they paid me one, didn’t believe them when they told me I was pretty and would always reply by saying, “No I’m not”.
The struggles of a Greek girl were real though! The mono-brow I wasn’t allowed to pluck and a hairy top lip, ginger in appearance after my cousins introduced me to bleaching; what a stunner!
The struggle still goes on but it is a little different. When a medical problem challenges you by changing the way you look even slightly, you have to find once more, the confidence to say ‘thank you’ after a compliment which you know deep inside to be honest and true.
I recently became the proud owner of a wonky eye, this is what I call it because I have to turn every hurdle into a joke and find that self-deprecation is my only medicine. It’s a coping mechanism which my friends and family know all too well. Luckily, I know my worth, wonky eye or no wonky eye I can still see out of it which is all that really matters and I am well past worrying about what others see when they look at me. What other people think of me is their business, not mine.
© Michelle Sotiriou 2015
A close friend sent me a powerful message recently which a nutshell, describes the fight within people of all ages, cultures and sexes.
The Tale of Two Wolves is a poignant perception of the fight between good and evil, light and shade. As you watch this, you will be wondering where the story is heading and what long, drawn out answer you will be presented with calling for hours of complicated study making you busier than you already are (allegedly)
Trust me when I say that you will be surprised at the uncomplicated nature of this simply calm, yet wondrous Cherokee counsel.
© Michelle Sotiriou 2015
Researching for clients and friends is one of my favorite things to do. It allows me to understand who they are on a deeper level and what makes them tick. These searches are usually positive and help me expand my knowledge of topics I know very little about and introduce me to unfamiliar worlds. However, there have been times when finding the unexpected turns my brain cells into emotional mush instead of mindful magic.
You are crazy if you think you can hide everything on the internet and deluded if your ego persuades you that nothing will ever be found. The power behind someones finger tips as they write their story or profile can breathe life into you or knock it out like a heavy-weight punch! What is inevitably unearthed can make or break you (if you allow it) and not for the first time, the universe and stars that twinkle from it, grouped together with a celestial lesson for me to learn; this time in the form of a phenomenal woman who reached 102 years of age, just a year older than my Grandmother who passed at the age of 101.
When I reach a grand old age (I believe that I will) will I look back on my life with a smile on my face? A wonderful life that I would want to re-live again and tap my feet to its beautiful music? And, the question that is unshakable in my mind;
“Was I able to live with myself?”
© Michelle Sotiriou 2015
She Be Fierce 