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  • Pic and a Word ChallengeThe Pic and a Word Challenge comes from Patrick Jennings’ site www.pixtowords.com Each week he provides a photograph of his along with a single word. The challenge? Use the pic and/or word as points of inspiration to create something — a photograph, a painting, prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, longread or just a few words. We are welcome to use these two elements (photograph and word) literally, thematically or metaphorically. If we create both images and words, all the better.
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  • Sharing the Health

    For the first time in months, I find myself wordless. The upside is that “wordless” is not making me feel “worthless”.

    May 22, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Christianity, Faith, Life, Mental Illness, Purpose
    Book Club, Catching Your Breath, Hiding in the Pews, Pathway to Peace, Steve Austin
    Sharing the Health
  • with rush of breezes hot

    Shan’t hear complaints from one who’s oft so cold.

    May 21, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Life, Poetry
    longing, summer, terza rima, waiting
    with rush of breezes hot
  • new

    trust me – my new was harder.

    May 20, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Coming Out – The Journey, Freedom, Homosexuality, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose, Uncategorized
    #haiku, #tanka, authenticity, being, haiku, tanka
    new
  • her wedding lamp

    She fell into his arms widespread, And trusted he would hold her fast. ‘Tis time to see her head and heart be wed.

    May 18, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Coming Out – The Journey, Death, Faith, Freedom, Jesus, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose, Suicide, Uncategorized
    her wedding lamp
  • the wedding lamp

    No more does night descend with dread. Who knew you’d light a lamp when asked? I fall into your arms widespread; ‘Tis time to see my head and heart be wed.

    May 18, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Coming Out – The Journey, Death, Faith, Freedom, Jesus, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose, Suicide, Uncategorized
    authenticity, trust, villanelle, wholeness
    the wedding lamp
  • Sonnet XXIV – Perfect Pain

    I know it lies with me to find my cure; Won’t please the masses – never perfect be.

    May 18, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Freedom, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose, Sonnets, Uncategorized
    authenticity, integrity, perfect, perfection, perfectionism, pleasing
    Sonnet XXIV – Perfect Pain
  • Grace Required – A Quadrille

    Endless flow of “how to” laws? Naturally – we’ve endless flaws…

    May 17, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Christianity, Faith, Freedom, Justice, Kindness, Life, Love, Poetry, Purpose, Uncategorized
    grace, Justice, law, mercy, quadrille
    Grace Required – A Quadrille
  • Just Keep Swimming – Velvet Rage Skills 9, 11, 22….. and 20.

    Confused? Ambivalent? Feeling lots of feelings? Good.

    May 17, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Faith, Freedom, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Purpose, TVR – Life Skills, Uncategorized
    Ambiguity, Ambivalence, Dory, Finding Nemo
    Just Keep Swimming – Velvet Rage Skills 9, 11, 22….. and 20.
  • kitchentablepollyanna?

    Early on, we knew what we had bought…

    May 16, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Freedom, Homosexuality, Justice, Kindness, Life, Love, Purpose, Uncategorized
  • Growing (?) in Circles – #SoCS

    I think I’ve been thinking about growth the wrong way…

    May 15, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Coming Out – The Journey, Faith, Freedom, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Purpose, SoCS, Uncategorized
    circles, cycles, cyclical, growth, highs and lows, inclined plane
    Growing (?) in Circles – #SoCS
  • serendipity

    Some days your plans change

    May 14, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Faith, Kindness, Life, Love, Poetry, Uncategorized
    acceptance, chance, fate, haiku, tanka
    serendipity
  • Pain Hurts… Duh – Velvet Skill #8

    The recurring feelings of hurt, abuse, neglect, failure (fill in the blank) begin to define who we are, and we fear we won’t know who we are if we become someone BEYOND or WITHOUT that pain.

    May 13, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Blog Entries, Freedom, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Purpose, TVR – Life Skills, Uncategorized
    feel the feels, feelings, Go to the limits of your longing, let it go, pain, rilke
    Pain Hurts… Duh – Velvet Skill #8
  • celestial surrender

    waxing and waning…

    May 12, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Faith, Freedom, Justice, Life, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose, Uncategorized
    acceptance, cycles, ebb, lunar cycles, sunrise, sunset, tides
    celestial surrender
  • Judgment-Free Zone – Velvet Skill #7

    Actively resist the temptation to place everything in your life on a “good-bad continuum.”

    May 12, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Blog Entries, Faith, Freedom, Kindness, Life, Love, Purpose, TVR – Life Skills, Uncategorized
    acceptance, it is what it is, judgment, present over perfect
    Judgment-Free Zone – Velvet Skill #7
  • slow growth

    I let them hammer, peel, and scrape, To let the sun-starved seed escape, And grow e’er sunward with my leaves widespread.

    May 11, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Coming Out – The Journey, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose
    acceptance, Tripadi
    slow growth
  • The Multitask Myth – Velvet Skill #6

    You are going to be surprised (unless you are already a pro at this) at how difficult this skill is. Apart from those of us who have pre-programmed performance orientation, society itself keeps telling us “busyness” and “doing many things at once” show value.

    May 10, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Blog Entries, Freedom, Kindness, Life, Love, Purpose, TVR – Life Skills
    fully present, multitasking, presence, Skills for Leading an Authentic Life, The Velvet Rage
    The Multitask Myth – Velvet Skill #6
  • that which does not kill us…

    December morn – I’d end it all; Was not the plan – I went for broke.

    May 9, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Death, Freedom, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Poetry, Purpose, Suicide, Uncategorized
    ballade
    that which does not kill us…
  • Stupid is as Stupid Does – Velvet Skill #5

    When life doesn’t turn out the way you want, stop insisting that it not be so.

    May 9, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Faith, Freedom, Justice, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Purpose, TVR – Life Skills, Uncategorized
    acceptance, denial, Forrest Gump, reality, serenity prayer
    Stupid is as Stupid Does – Velvet Skill #5
  • The Kohns Man to my left… #SoCS

    The Kohns Men have a profoundly deep inner world. Perhaps the Kohns women do, too. I can’t speak to that from personal experience, so I’ll stick to what I know.

    May 8, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, SoCS, Suicide, Uncategorized
    fathers, perception, presence, reality
    The Kohns Man to my left… #SoCS
  • And that’s ALL I need – Velvet Rage Skill #4

    We don’t know where to begin unwinding what it is that will make us truly “content”…

    May 7, 2021

    Ben Kohns

    Blessings, Christianity, Faith, Freedom, Kindness, Life, Love, Mental Illness, Purpose, TVR – Life Skills, Uncategorized
    approval, contentedness, contentment, narcissism, self-care, self-love
    And that’s ALL I need – Velvet Rage Skill #4
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