The Weight of Being Human

Posted on January 18, 2021 by

55 Comments

I am carrying around too much trash; memories of things I’ve done and regretted. Secrets I’ve never told and heartaches too enormous to bear. Sometimes, the great bones of my life feel so heavy that all I yearn for is a deep dreamless sleep. I am trapped in this strange body where I am in limbo; a painful existence where I walk on two legs and eat with utensils.

Many, many moons ago I ran on all fours. I wandered and hunted with my pack family. Unknown dangers threatened, yet each day the rising sun brought immense joy. Life was both precious and profound, for we knew death may come calling without any warning.

Oh, to feel the whisper of downy wings from a great horned owl brushing my face, as it fights for a bite of fresh kill. Oh, to be free again!

©2021 Linda Lee Lyberg

dVerse Prosery: Bone Weary

Author’s Note: Hi Everyone- I am hosting at dVerse today for the first Prosery prompt of the New Year. The line you are to use in your 144 words or less flash fiction story is ‘Sometimes the great bones of my life feel so heavy,’ from Mary Oliver’s Spring Azures. Come join us- the pub opens at 3PM EST.

Linda Lee Lyberg is a wife, mother, artist, published poet and author. She resides in Mesa, AZ with her husband Pete (aka The Big Viking) of 24 years, and her dog, Ricky Bobby. Linda writes various forms of poetry, as well as short stories. You can read more of her works at: charmedchaos.com
and purchase anthologies containing her work here: Amazon Author Page

Category: Fiction, Flash FictionTags: , ,

55 Comments on “The Weight of Being Human”

  1. I love this Linda….almost mythical. I’ve recently been reading about wolves….so this especially struck a chord.

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  3. Gorgeously evocative, Linda! Perhaps we all have a totem animal? I resonate with the yearning of a deep, dreamless sleep. 💝💝

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  5. A human’s life can be so heavy, Linda, sometimes too heavy to bear, but we usually bounce back after deep analysis of our mistakes and regrets. I love how your piece turns on the phrase ‘a painful existence where I walk on two legs and eat with utensils’, and you take us back to a previous life as a wolf, full of joy, with no regrets.

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  7. You are in tune with the soul of the wolf here. I like the idea of being a wild spirit trapped in a human body. I felt the weight of those ‘Secrets I’ve never told and heartaches too enormous to bear’ as I read this.

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  9. totems or past lives, this resonates! The past can’t be changed but we can ensure we never repeat our mistakes … may you enjoy deep restful sleep soon.

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  10. I really enjoyed this. As you know, my totem animal is the wolverine. A very clever and unique take on your own prompt.

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  12. Wonderfully expressed speculative introspection Linda. I’m not sure what I was before I became what I am, but, hmmm…I’ll be giving it some thought, so thanks!

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  15. Love the song! Your story is so good. I love this philosophical line…
    . Life was both precious and profound, for we knew death may come calling without any warning.

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  16. Superb poem Linda, really stoked my imagination. Loved the personification of the wolf. AND THANK YOU for introducing me to that AMAZING collective recording of that classic from Robbie Robertson & The Band — WOW, WOW, and WOW! 🙂

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  18. This was fabulous, Linda. I remember reading about a man who chose to live with the wolves, feeling he belonged with them, considering them his family over his two-legged one.

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  24. I loved the clear word pictures you created with this wonderful writing. I think inside of all of us is a deep seeded desire for a freedom that seems to be elusive most of time. I really enjoyed this.

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