Henrietta Eghan’s Words for the Mind and Soul: Quarantine

Hello Jet Fuel Blog Readers,

It has been a while and I am sure like me, you have been impacted by Coronovirus and self-isolation. Whether it is through muscle atrophy, emotional fluctuations, or the loss of a loved one, the pandemic has changed our lives and not for the better. The pandemic has made us take shelter inside the confines of our homes, scared and restless. As of now, it feels as though the world is becoming a worse place and the feeling of hopelessness increases with every passing day. And I am sure there will be a movie or a series made of this event, there always is. But it shall never capture the true realities and emotions felt during these trying times. From war to heartbreak to loneliness, poetry has helped people endure all manner of painful experiences.  The selections of poems below ranging from Philip Larkin to Maya Angelou, in some way offer comfort, small as it is during these trying times.

Eghan’s Words for the Mind and Soul: “Nothing but Guilt”

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Agoo JFR blog readers,

This blog post features poetry that captures the emotional response of guilt. In a nutshell, guilt is a term which is frequently used to capture the feeling or the action of being guilty. I feel like one’s conscience and guilt are deeply interconnected. After all, when we think or do something that is morally unjust, we may develop a guilty conscience. I believe that guilt is a feeling people develop after doing something wrong—  intentionally or accidentally.

Henrietta Eghan’s Words for the Mind and Soul: “The Opposite of Loneliness”

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Hello my dear JFR Readers,

After finishing my first blog, I couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to do a blog that contrasted the blog about loneliness. Now, the question is, what is the opposite of loneliness? It’s quite hard to find a word to be the perfect opposite fit of loneliness. It couldn’t be un-loneliness? Supposedly that is a word.  It doesn’t quite fit as perfectly like sad and happy, mad and calm, and etc. Sociable too doesn’t seem to be on par in the gravity of loneliness. According to the Merriam-Webster thesaurus, the antonyms of loneliness are connected, coupled, linked, and loved. Why does nothing seem to fit the word loneliness? Maybe, in a manner befitting its definition, it can’t be a pair with anything.

Either way, I find it strange how love and loneliness are connected.  If you’re loved, does that mean you can’t be lonely? Is love really the antonym/antidote for loneliness, after all, all those synonyms of loneliness seem to be connected to the feeling of being loved and connected. Maybe the fact that I can’t wrap my mind around what the antonym of loneliness is, only shows proof of the complexity of loneliness, which is why I love poetry. Poems are able to describe the emotions I’m feeling and convey the words that I don’t know how to say. I hope you enjoy these poems, featuring the opposite of loneliness.

Henrietta Eghan’s Words for the Mind and Soul: “Some Words for the Lonely”

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Hello JFR Blog Readers,

This is my first blog; forgive me for I am but a simple being trying to emote the daily feelings that all of us often feel through poetry. Sometimes the poetry of choice will be mellow, sometimes a little sad, and rarely cheerful. But I can’t help it as I find myself drawn to poetry to find solace and to find comfort. Poetry helps me better understand my experiences—as well as the experiences of those who deal with life in ways that don’t mirror mine at all. Found below is a wide range of lonely poems, from a broad range of contemporary pieces, classics, well-known poets, and emerging poets. I hope these poems will resonate with you.

Our first poem by Dionisio D. Martinez is a salute to lonely people. It acknowledges most of the things lonely people do so that it can inspire them to keep on moving through life. Sometimes we lonely people need a reminder that we’re not alone and we have our community, this poem serves that purpose while at the same time uniting people.