Reasons why being broken is not so bad.

[Cate]

Triad - I'm clumping stuff
(With apologies to Mr. Cohen)


Disposable bar tales


2 Cohen covers walk into a bar

My Joan of Arc
took your Joan of Arc out for a beer.
They arm wrestled for a while until your Joan
spotted some nuts and ran out to the parking lot
to throw them at the squirrels.
My Joan, who was dressed in chaps,

downed two scotch and winked at the
middle aged man who sat at the end of the bar
with a hard on wondering what it would feel
like to have a chick handcuff him to a stool
before your Joan returned with
the empty bowl.

~~

Edith (B. L. homage)

Your belly button
my alter; an eyelash,

a drop of dew, a tiny petal
from a sunflower.

I kneel and press my lips
to navel glory.

Holy communion should be so divine.

~~

The Broken - not the Holy

Reasons why being broken is not so bad.

1. You become less afraid of potentially breaking; coffee table edges become far less daunting,
2. You can put yourself back however you like. An ear in the back of the head might make more sense.
3. You’ll find yourself attracted to other broken people who are far more interesting than those still stuck in their original packaging.

One day you may wake up and discover that you weren’t broken at all – just dented, or cracked or chipped.
That’s okay,
even unbroken you are still beautiful.


edit note: title one replaced The story of 2 Joan of Arcs containing a very long and awkward sentence and no real ending

[lizzytysh]

You need to publish, enter competitions, and whatever else will bring you a broader audience, Cate.

[mat james]

Cate, you have "broken" into my Bad, with all those cuffs and stools and winks!.

Like lizzy, I love your work.

Mat.

[Cate]

thank you Lizzy x


"you have "broken" into my Bad"
I like that

The first one I was imagining Cohen songs at a bar together so I'll blame them.

[comehealing]

Beautiful

This makes me think of Leonard's book of psalms, "Book of Mercy".

I was reading some Rumi the other day and his lines about dancing
strike a chord. Basically, dance when you're happy. Dance when you're
broken open. There is nothing quite like a dance.

Or as Leonard said when being interviewed by Jarvis Cocker last year on BBC6 music.
(I might be paraphrasing):

When it all gets a bit too much, I find a good stomp helps.

[abby]

I love all three. I always loved the way Edith made an altar out of her belly button. And I love dirty. And I love the human condition (broken, duh ).

Cate, have you read Cheryl Strayed's book tiny beautiful things, or her column Dear Sugar? It's another way of talking about why being broken is not so bad. I think you'd loooove it. I do. Just go here: http://therumpus.net/sections/dear-sugar/ and read this: http://therumpus.net/2010/08/dear-sugar ... herfucker/ , which is Sugar's advice to write like a motherfucker, which you so beautifully did in all 3 in this thread.

xxoo

[Cate]

Hi Alexis,

I've been really enjoying Rumi lately, he's been hanging out on my bedside table. I'm just hoping the Leonard and Mr. Layton aren't to much of a bad influence on him.

It feels great to dance without thought doesn't it?
I envy those who can do that even with others about ... perhaps a few more years and I'll get there.


Abby!!
I've never heard of Dear Sugar before but I will definitely be sharing that write like a Mother Fucker advice article!!!!

I really liked the Edith character, except for the elevator shaft thing (that was a dumb ass move). The belly button passage in B.L. is my favourite and I'll often read it just on its own.