Crucible Womb

By Jill Marlene

Crucible Womb is a collection of poetry surrounding the journey to the authentic self. According to author Charlie O' Hay, Jill's poems are, "songs of human interconnection, deeply rooted in the power of the natural world. They are “we” poems, both embracing and contemplative. As fingers might trace an old scar or explore the body of a new lover, these poems address both the gamble and pain of human experience with humility and grace.”

Jill Marlene also works as a marriage and family therapist intern so much of the work is profoundly influenced by the philosophical and personal issues surrounding psychological development and change. Gender differences, child abuse, recovery, existentialism, self knowledge, family trauma, family systems, love, child rearing, mindfulness and the integration of dualistic opposites are all themes explored in her work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jill Marlene
• Release date: Feb 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781939051660

Book preview

Crucible Womb

Jill Marlene

Jill Marlene puts her soul out in front of her and follows, with authenticity and courage. Her words challenge us, the readers, to dare to go to the deepest, most dangerous parts of ourselves. She is a treasure.

~Jeanmarie Simpson, Theatre Artist

~*~*~

Jill Marlene has a gift for expressing the range of the human psyche with beauty and depth. She has a mastery of the language and a gift for delivering insights into the deepest parts of who we are. Her poetry can move you emotionally and spiritually, because her words encompass the true experience of the ups and downs and interconnectedness of humanity.

~Christian Conte, PhD, Therapist, Speaker, and author of Advanced Techniques for Counseling and Psychotherapy

~*~*~

Jill Marlene’s poems are songs of human interconnection, deeply rooted in the power of the natural world. They are we poems, both embracing and contemplative. As fingers might trace an old scar or explore the body of a new lover, these poems address both the gamble and pain of human experience with humility and grace.

~Charles O’Hay, author of Far From Luck

A Lucky Bat Book

Crucible Womb

Copyright 2014 by Jill Marlene

All rights reserved

Cover and Interior Photos: Kaitlin Oki and Michael Mac Millan

Cover Design: Dave Cherry

Published by Lucky Bat Books

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with other people, please purchase additional copies. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Acknowledgements

Who?

Chapter One

November 1, 2012

The Minor Second Conundrum

Ravages

Changing the Story...

Summer Tease

Unsettled

Fox News

Nightmare Crucible

Omen

Chapter Two

Untitled

Regift

Syntheses

Mirage and Mirror

Snow

Thirsty

Transition

Untitled

Care

Lilacs Waiting

Garden Preacher

Dichotomy’s Cowboy

The Dark Place

Chapter Three

Locus Limerick

A Haiku of Breaking the Homeostatic Cycle...

Spring Cleaning

Harvest

An Ode to Projective Identification

An Answer to an Ode to Projective Identification

Scapegoats

For Joy

Bullies

The Soulscouts Code

Pedestals

Lover

Hole in the Soul

Chapter Four

No Reason at All

Appreciation

Mundane

Life Lessons from Paint

Back to the Grind

Impostors

Two Poems in the Style of Ogden Nash

Sandpaintings

Chapter Five

Getting There

We Are

Who Knows...

The Fate Testers Search

Heart Hearth Harvest

Chronic Pain

The Triangle

Pain

For Girls

Us

Chapter Six

Another Mother’s Song of Letting Go. To the inner child

Untitled

The Fledglings. Or, My midlife crisis poem.

The Crucible of Parenthood

A Visit to the Music Center After the Children have Grown

Chapter Seven

Forever Again

I Awoke to a Cup of Mulled Cider

Experiential

Advice

Adventure

April 2009

Break

Watching You Sleep...

Wind

Passion

Romance

Chapter Eight

American Girl is an