Sensitivity Training

Sensitivity Training Prose

You shed your skin and bare your flesh to the cruel world, convinced you deserve to be treated kindly because you carry the weight of three dozen lifetimes and an era of pain within you.

When the sun and cold touched you, you complained, cried when it burned the darkness from your heart and left you naked at the summit of desire.

Salt dries in swales at your porcelain feet. Flesh dries to scale. You asked to swim. Now you want to fly.

I think about how I can lie to you so as not to break you

with my breath.

Photo by Marianna Smiley

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48 Comments

  1. Dominic Alapat

    Mindblowing poem Jaya! You’ve reached the heights of lyric ecstasy here! Every line sings!

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Thank you for this delightful comment!

  2. mentalnotes1

    Only a true poet can write ✍such a short peice with so may powerful meanings depending on the reader.The comments are enlightening. Well written!

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Thank you ever so much! I love that you enjoyed browsing the comments too!

  3. Jodie | That Happy Reader

    This is so moving and raw to me. A real baring of the soul. Thanks for sharing Jaya!

  4. Annabel

    Beauty is an understatement! You achieved the finest mastery of words with flaring poetic sensitivity…💕

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Thank you ever so much!

  5. readandreviewit1

    What a beautiful piece! As someone very closed off due to past events this really resonated with me; it’s a awful how cruel the world can be. I love your imagery throughout and that closing line gave me chills! Thank you so much for sharing x

  6. Andrea Stephenson

    Very atmospheric Jaya, I love those last two lines.

  7. Maria Khan

    This is wonderful!

  8. parneetsachdev

    Your writing is very powerful Nin. a very good blog. I am going to follow your great blog. Humbly invite you to mine.

  9. Tressa

    Years ago I saw a documentary about two sisters who had been leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. In old age, they were forgotten, and lived in dire poverty. They passed in quiet, tragic way. This poem is haunting (in a beautiful way) and brought that story to back to mind for me.

    1. Jaya Avendel

      I am loving the way this writing brought a memory to mind. Thank you for sharing!

  10. Aspen Hite

    For me, this was beautiful, powerful, and raw with emotion. Nicely done! 👏

  11. Artist/Poet_JayMoraShihadeh

    So many great lines and complexity in this piece. “convinced you deserve to be treated kindly because you carry the weight of three dozen lifetimes and an era of pain within you.” Such as this opening—Very nice!

    1. Jaya Avendel

      What a lovely read! Thank you, Jay.

  12. Gabriela Marie Milton

    Excellent piece 👏👏👏

  13. Anika

    To break someone with your breath is such an interesting concept, I love that idea. Also beautiful choice of photo with this! 🙂

  14. gemmaajaynee

    Beautiful words as usual Jaya! This one really stuck with me for some reason, have no idea why but I was sat here reading the words over and over. Thank you for sharing xx

  15. Ebitimi Creates

    Great piece Jaya, in this cruel world it takes a lot of strength to be vulnerable and to truly feel. Some people react by walking on egg shells, I love the use of imagery here!

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Thank you deeply!

  16. Jeff Flesch

    This is a gorgeous write that resonates with me as a highly sensitive person. It speaks to me of the complexities and paradoxically the simplicities of understanding oneself in regard to the many touches we get from our environment via our sense. And, the end is stunning. Wonderful write, Jaya!

    1. Jaya Avendel

      What a stunning read, Jeff, thank you!

      1. Jeff Flesch

        You’re welcome, Jaya. Always!

  17. Unwanted Life

    This is a really amazing piece. Each sentence had me thinking a million different things, from thinking the world should treat you nicely (which reminded me of privilege but also how that’s the bare minimum, to the sun burning the darkness away like being treated with kindness can do

    1. Jaya Avendel

      What a gorgeous read of this piece! Thank you for sharing.

  18. Aisling

    This is such a beautifully written piece! It’s so stand out and powerful! I look forward to reading more from you soon!

  19. D. Wallace Peach

    Wow. Jaya. Such a powerful and vivid piece of writing. This gave me wonderful chills.

  20. Corinne

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE the title to this and the image is perfect!

    Corinne x

  21. Lauren

    This is so profound and deep. You certainly have a creative way with words. Thank you for sharing this Jaya. I hope March is a great month for you and your writing.

    Lauren – bournemouthgirl

  22. Rachel

    This speaks to my subconscious.

  23. Raji (@journeyintofantasy)

    Amazing piece Jaya! There is so much raw emotion in this and it makes it such a powerful poem. I also like the title, it feels so fitting for this!

  24. penny

    So beautiful and deep as always! Stirred up a lot of emotions inside me! xx Penny/ whatdidshetype.com

  25. Eugenia

    This is wonderful, Jaya! Powerful words and beautifully expressed.

  26. Stephanie

    There is so much emotion and raw FEELING in this and I love it!

  27. Jenny in Neverland

    Wow, this is beautiful. I somehow took this poem really personally, I’m not sure why but something spoke to me from this one.

  28. Lisa's Notebook

    Beautifully written, Jaya. We always want what we can’t have and then, if and when we get it, we want something else, don’t we? 🙂

  29. Lamittan Minsah

    Amazing. Deep and bubbling with reality. 🌺

  30. Michele Lee

    Jaya, no secrets exposed, but with this stunning poem, you bared your poetic soul. This essence of poetry flows through this post. I feel moved and elevated, and changed by it. Great poetry achieves this. ✨

    1. Jaya Avendel

      😍 Michele, I love the way I experience my writing anew through your read of it! Thank you so much for sharing this stunning comment.

      1. Michele Lee

        You are most welcome, Jaya. I feel the same when you share your thoughts on my page. 😊 BTW – I printed your poem. It is another keeper!

  31. Lucia’s Fiction

    Beautifully written as always!

  32. Infinite Living

    Omg the incredible power and beauty in this!!! Nothing more I can say to appreciate as much as I want to.

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Thank you deeply!

  33. Jacqui Murray

    That is powerful.

  34. barbaraleaver

    A beautiful and poignant piece!

  35. Ingrid

    Powerful words, Jaya: the wonderful breath of poetry!

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