Self-Love

Self Love Haiku

Once the thorn to the

Thistle, I reach in and pick

A bouquet un-pricked.

Photo by Mutzii

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42 Comments

  1. B. K. Neifert

    I hate to be spamming you, but it’s interesting. In this sense, Self Love reflects the gospel, as one doesn’t want to be prickly; It is true self love, the desire to be a better person for its own sake. Kind of inverts the entire concept, making self love unselfish. Because when most people think of self love, they think of loving themselves. But the way you worded this, it’s improving upon your own character to be a better woman for the outside world. In a way, that is self love, to make oneself better for God’s sake, and to make oneself more edifying for the people around you.

    1. Jaya Avendel

      I deeply enjoyed reading your evolving interpretation of this little piece! Your final words here reveal the most in meaning to me.

      1. B. K. Neifert

        Thanks.

        I, the rose, am more
        Beautiful without my vain
        Thorns of self love’s airs.

        1. B. K. Neifert

          That’s my notion of self love. Not yours. Yours sounds more beautiful. It’s something I’d never heard before. Self love as a means of self improvement. Not in the way of being more selfish to be callous toward the world.

          1. Jaya Avendel

            I deeply enjoy your thoughts, Brandon, and find each one full of insight and exploration!

          2. B. K. Neifert

            I try to read poetry the way I would like mine to be read.

      2. B. K. Neifert

        P.S.

        Please delete any extraneous correspondence here. I’m just making conversation. I have a habit of doing that in the comments section. You can delete the Haiku, too. I didn’t want to post it on my blog, because I felt like it would be ill advised. It just is my understanding of self love. I truly hate it. There is nothing I despise more than self love. But, your understanding of it is not my understanding of it. Yours is special, and I hope you retain that kindness and wisdom.

  2. B. K. Neifert

    Or are you trying to say that self love takes away your prickliness? “Once the thorn to the thistle”, you were once the thorn which reacted to the thistle. And self love gave you the recourse to shave away the thorns? I wouldn’t really call that self love. What you’re talking about is self improvement. Which, if that’s what you call self love… I’ve never heard it called that before.

  3. B. K. Neifert

    I like this because it’s honest. Self love makes us prickly, and so less likely to be pricked.

  4. schmitztimo

    Again a brilliant piece. So it seems that the internal thorns prevented the lyrical speaker from unfolding self-love and the way of overcoming. Do you write here from experience or is it just a fictional setting?

    1. Jaya Avendel

      I write from experience and the lessons I learn from fictional settings. Love that you asked!

      1. schmitztimo

        You are welcome. It is always fascinating to me how people develop their thoughts. For instance, in this talk which I link to this comment, you can see how I develop my thoughts when I write poetry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1awTP5mMFqY

        I think there are some things we have in common when it goes to writing poetry.

          1. schmitztimo

            Thank you so much! 🙂

  5. Simplyalexjean

    So lovely and so beautiful in such a short amount of words! What a great poem you’ve shared.

  6. jei

    A short and beautiful poem to enter in nothingness for an instant… Don’t let that un-pricked bouquet slip from your hands.

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Beautifully said! 😍

      1. jei

        Beautiful is what you write, Jaya.

  7. Kelly Diane

    Short but nevertheless so powerful too.

  8. KK

    So deep and meaningful 👌👌👌

  9. homeyhoneysco

    Aw, I love this! This reminds me of boundaries and forming skin thin as a form of self love <3 Thanks for sharing, Jaya xx

    Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

  10. Soffy

    Although one of the most shortest pieces from you, it really does make your mind wonder!

  11. Mica - Away From Blue

    Such a beautiful black and white photo, and poem too! You have a way with words 🙂

    Hope that you had a great weekend 🙂 We made the most of the warm sunny days after a rainy week 🙂

  12. barbaraleaver

    I see the introspective thought

  13. Jodie | That Happy Reader

    Very beautiful and thought-provoking Jaya! You say so much with so few words…

  14. Karalee

    This is a short, but beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Jaya Avendel

      Thank you for reading, Karalee!

  15. Eri Tz

    Small and beautiful Jaya. Another perspective on something considered ugly and painful. Reading it made me smile 🙂

    1. Jeff Flesch

      This is magical, Jaya. The counterbalance of the two, thorn to thistle and unpricked is amazing. Love this. 💙

      1. Jaya Avendel

        Thank you, Jeff! 🙂

        1. Jeff Flesch

          You’re welcome, Jaya! Always. ☺️

  16. Rayo

    Wow, this really got me thinking. It’s so short yet makes you wonder how you picked a bouquet unscathed. It sounds like someone is wiser and mature.

  17. Dr. Vador

    I’m sure it’s beautiful, your words usually touch me in the right places. But, I’m kind of lost 🤔.

  18. thetravelvine

    This is beautiful, with a strong message that said to me, ‘beauty is only skin-deep!’ Thanks for sharing 🙂

  19. alimackin2013

    Well said!! Quite insightful.

    Allie of
    http://www.allienyc.com

  20. Ingrid

    Poignant and piquant!

  21. Daphny Aqua

    Short but very impactful words Jaya!

  22. Dominic Alapat

    A short and beautiful poem reflecting growth, maturity and wisdom!

  23. Unwanted Life

    This one has really got me thinking. The tire combined with the poem makes it read like someone made the right choice that didn’t cause them harm (un-pricked)

  24. Michele Lee

    Jaya, your title is perfectly fitting for your introspective lines. 🌹

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