Kai Cheng - you are a brilliant and brave writer. I’m so scared to share myself in my writing. So scared. You are inspiring me, but I am still very scared. Thank you for helping me at least recognize my fear so I can begin to talk with it.
I have started to think about bad relationships more like ecosystems, there are no heroes and villains, sometimes not even perpetrators and victims, but instead, dynamics, patterns, structures and levers. This is a beautiful exploration how we get things (or maybe convince ourselves we get things) out of situations that hurt us.
I'm going through a painful, cathartic break-up with someone I am still in love with, but like your relationship with your Hades, hurt more to stay in than to leave. The compassion in the process of embodying more of myself has been challenging-- but this came at an opportune time and was soothing balm.
You are an amazing, insightful writer and I am blown away. I also relate as I wrote a piece I haven’t published yet about how I dated a “vampire” and felt drawn, compelled even after I learned her had another woman also so drawn to him that she became what he called a ‘stalker’ but someone he couldn’t shake and was still intimate with. She and I spoke when I discovered her and she shared this same desire with him that you reference that I had just started to feel. The power of being the beauty that could calm the beast is how I saw it. I wrote it not as a victim of deception as much as a desire I had to go on this dark fairytale adventure, feel my power to stay and then my power to go when I knew it would drain me.
Your piece is beautiful. I still deeply crave that feeling you mention…it’s also an addiction. However, addiction can be artful. Check out the book The Art of Addiction by Nicole Daedone.
Thank you for that. When our concept of love is inextricably linked to hurt, it's really difficult to tell the difference, isn't it? I have a short story that is related (eerily about love and hurt and called pomegranate), if you wanted me to I can put up a link but won't do that without permission. Sending hugs.
as a deeply tender-hearted person who was gifted the name Persephone, I was scared to read this, which is why I knew I should. thank you for seeing us. this was my favorite part - what i wish people understood, and what i'm grateful you do...
"What is deeply compelling about Persephone...is her longing for freedom and communion with something greater than the life she has known, and her courage to move towards it, over and over again."
many many thank yous and may you reach past anything not worthy of your tremendous love,
Kai Cheng - you are a brilliant and brave writer. I’m so scared to share myself in my writing. So scared. You are inspiring me, but I am still very scared. Thank you for helping me at least recognize my fear so I can begin to talk with it.
This brought tears to my eyes, in the best way 💖
Thank you! I really needed that
I have started to think about bad relationships more like ecosystems, there are no heroes and villains, sometimes not even perpetrators and victims, but instead, dynamics, patterns, structures and levers. This is a beautiful exploration how we get things (or maybe convince ourselves we get things) out of situations that hurt us.
Beautifully said…”dynamics, patterns, structures and levers.”
I'm going through a painful, cathartic break-up with someone I am still in love with, but like your relationship with your Hades, hurt more to stay in than to leave. The compassion in the process of embodying more of myself has been challenging-- but this came at an opportune time and was soothing balm.
You are an amazing, insightful writer and I am blown away. I also relate as I wrote a piece I haven’t published yet about how I dated a “vampire” and felt drawn, compelled even after I learned her had another woman also so drawn to him that she became what he called a ‘stalker’ but someone he couldn’t shake and was still intimate with. She and I spoke when I discovered her and she shared this same desire with him that you reference that I had just started to feel. The power of being the beauty that could calm the beast is how I saw it. I wrote it not as a victim of deception as much as a desire I had to go on this dark fairytale adventure, feel my power to stay and then my power to go when I knew it would drain me.
Your piece is beautiful. I still deeply crave that feeling you mention…it’s also an addiction. However, addiction can be artful. Check out the book The Art of Addiction by Nicole Daedone.
Beautiful. As always.
I love this so much.
Thank you for that. When our concept of love is inextricably linked to hurt, it's really difficult to tell the difference, isn't it? I have a short story that is related (eerily about love and hurt and called pomegranate), if you wanted me to I can put up a link but won't do that without permission. Sending hugs.
as a deeply tender-hearted person who was gifted the name Persephone, I was scared to read this, which is why I knew I should. thank you for seeing us. this was my favorite part - what i wish people understood, and what i'm grateful you do...
"What is deeply compelling about Persephone...is her longing for freedom and communion with something greater than the life she has known, and her courage to move towards it, over and over again."
many many thank yous and may you reach past anything not worthy of your tremendous love,
- seph
Thank you for telling your story, it has revealed more to me about my own 💞