I sense hiding from something very painful…not hiding as weakness, but hiding as survival. The “hole, not a grave” feels so important. It reads like a retreat for safety, not surrender.
And the bedding imagery really struck me. The “twisted sheets,” “blankets,” and “bedspread” of shame, sorrow, and both outer and inner critic almost feels like returning to the womb…curled up, warm, protected…wanting to be taken care of when the world and the soul feel too sharp to bear.
Then the shift… “Although the Breath is in me / He breathes on me / Eyes open.” That feels like Presence. Not a quick fix. Not a command to perform strength. Just God meeting you in the hole and breathing life where you are.
The repetition of “It takes time…” feels like permission…to unwring, uncover, and unfold slowly, without forcing healing to be instant.
And that ending is powerful…coming up from the hole and looking for the ones with “debride nails, soiled knuckles, and shadowed fingerprints.” Not the polished people. The ones who have been in it…who have touched wounds, carried weight, and stayed human.
This is vulnerability with substance. Thank you for offering it.
Oh my gosh Kevin, THANK YOU. All of what you said was spot on in how I was feeling when writing the poem and the message I wanted to convey. I know we are not to have favorites, but I do. The unpolished are my fav.... the ones that have "seen it, felt it, been in it." Love how you used, "polished people." What good imagery. Thanks again for taking the time to not only read my poetry but to respond with such heartfelt insight and encouragement! I smiled instantly when I saw you commented!
I think it is amazing you write back to people's work and share your thoughts. It is appreciated more than you even know. And Kevin, I am one of the unpolished ones too, boy am I ever. 🩶
This is a brave and holy piece: tender without being sentimental, honest without being self-erasing.
What moved me most is the insistence you make, again and again, on time. “It takes time to unwring… to uncover… to unfold.” That rhythm feels deeply faithful. Resurrection in Ezekiel 37 is not rushed; breath comes bone by bone, sinew by sinew. What you describe is not a dramatic escape from pain, but companionship within it. Not a hole as a place of death, but a place where God meets you and refuses to let it become a grave.
The imagery of 'debride nails, soiled knuckles, shadowed fingerprints' is especially powerful. It names a God who is not afraid of mess, who works close enough to leave marks. And the critics, outer and inner; are not denied, but overlaid, named, and ultimately answered not by argument, but by Presence.
The photograph matters here. The vulnerability you speak of is not performative; it’s incarnational. The lines on your face are not failure; they are witness. They tell the truth of survival, of breath still moving, of fruit still being fed even in the dark.
How did it speak to me? It gave language to the slow mercy of God; the kind that does not pull us out prematurely, but stays until we can rise with Him. Thank you for trusting us with this. It feels like a gift offered with open hands.
Ze!!! Wow your response moved me! Thank you so much for your time and thoughtfulness with your response. Means so much! Yes.. "the lines on my face are not failure... they are witness." I seem to beat myself up - how I am aging... and just how messy I can get. BUT as you said, Jesus is not afraid of the mess. He gives me grace, I need to give myself grace! Amen to amen. I am so thankful you commented Ze!
When the world feels heavy, and our thoughts are dim; when kindness seems to be a virtue very few can afford, we question our own abilities, our self-worth, and our creativity.
We feel alone within the confines of our own humanity. Our thoughts become shadows and questionable. The unstable past pleads to be released.
When a pause, a deep breath or a moment of gratitude seems too hard to manifest, sometimes shelter from the trouble is necessary. We look for cover, away from the intruder's glare: our own psyche.
So, you crawled into a hole; not a grave. A place of momentary refuge, protection, away from the overwhelming noise, the pain, the loss.
It's not giving up.
It's not surrendering.
It's survival.
He is in the hole with you. His arms around you... protecting you, Ashley. And, just as you said, he breathes new vigor into you, new hope, the desire to continue, to do what you do best when the battle seems all up hill.
So go and look for the ones who have recently been or are still waiting in their holes. The ones who need the encouragement you so readily give, and the light that surrounds you. They need your help--although they might not know it yet.
JIM!!!!! This was so well said, oh my. Thank you so much for these words of validation. They mean more than you know. It has been a rough last night and morning, so these words sound in my heart. Thank you so much. I appreciate you Jim, more than you know. I cannot wait for your book to come out . . . you help others in holes too. You are so very encouraging, helpful, and a great leader. Truly, sincerely. Blessings my friend, Ash
Appreciate you being vulnerable that is a hard thing to do, thank you so much and I can relate in diverse ways🤍🙏🕊️🥲 God bless you ♥️You are loved Ashley,so very much. Graceleannot/ Paula😌
GRACE!!!! WHAT!!!!!!!! I am so glad you are here! How are you?!?!? Oh my gosh I miss you! Thank you so much for commenting on this post. I am sorry you can relate... you are not alone either! YOU ARE LOVED!!! 🩷
Yeah I subscribe sometime back. But addicted to YouTube 🙄. I rarely come on here. Anyway so good to hear from you God bless luv 😌 God's good I have a lot to be grateful for ♥️🙏
It is so good to see you! I plan on being back on YouTube in February! I dont think I will post every day though… still praying on it. I am so glad you came over here for a while Paula!! Blessings to you!! I am so glad that you have so much to be grateful for, we all do! God bless you!
This doesn’t spiritualize suffering or deny it. It names the weight and then chooses presence over erasure. That feels both truthful and faithful. Wonderful writing.
I had to look up the word . . . lol. I was definetly in deep thought. Too deep. LOL. Jesus is good though. Thanks for reading Teresa, means so much when you look at my stuff!
Ahhh Terry, I am sorry that you are in a similar season. But sometimes it is such a good place to be in... I know that is weird to say.... but the Lord so meets us. I know you know that. I am glad it spoke to you. That is what I want my poetry to do... I want it to bring validation and then the heart of the Father. The Lord so has you Terry... (again I know you know that) but as your sister, I am just telling you again! Jon says hi! We love you brother! -Ashley
Thank you for sharing this…here is what I see.
I sense hiding from something very painful…not hiding as weakness, but hiding as survival. The “hole, not a grave” feels so important. It reads like a retreat for safety, not surrender.
And the bedding imagery really struck me. The “twisted sheets,” “blankets,” and “bedspread” of shame, sorrow, and both outer and inner critic almost feels like returning to the womb…curled up, warm, protected…wanting to be taken care of when the world and the soul feel too sharp to bear.
Then the shift… “Although the Breath is in me / He breathes on me / Eyes open.” That feels like Presence. Not a quick fix. Not a command to perform strength. Just God meeting you in the hole and breathing life where you are.
The repetition of “It takes time…” feels like permission…to unwring, uncover, and unfold slowly, without forcing healing to be instant.
And that ending is powerful…coming up from the hole and looking for the ones with “debride nails, soiled knuckles, and shadowed fingerprints.” Not the polished people. The ones who have been in it…who have touched wounds, carried weight, and stayed human.
This is vulnerability with substance. Thank you for offering it.
Oh my gosh Kevin, THANK YOU. All of what you said was spot on in how I was feeling when writing the poem and the message I wanted to convey. I know we are not to have favorites, but I do. The unpolished are my fav.... the ones that have "seen it, felt it, been in it." Love how you used, "polished people." What good imagery. Thanks again for taking the time to not only read my poetry but to respond with such heartfelt insight and encouragement! I smiled instantly when I saw you commented!
You are so welcome. I try…to the best of my ability… to share what I feel when I read someone else’s writing.
The unpolished, broken, messy people have always been my favorite…probably because I am one of them
I think it is amazing you write back to people's work and share your thoughts. It is appreciated more than you even know. And Kevin, I am one of the unpolished ones too, boy am I ever. 🩶
Ashley,
This is a brave and holy piece: tender without being sentimental, honest without being self-erasing.
What moved me most is the insistence you make, again and again, on time. “It takes time to unwring… to uncover… to unfold.” That rhythm feels deeply faithful. Resurrection in Ezekiel 37 is not rushed; breath comes bone by bone, sinew by sinew. What you describe is not a dramatic escape from pain, but companionship within it. Not a hole as a place of death, but a place where God meets you and refuses to let it become a grave.
The imagery of 'debride nails, soiled knuckles, shadowed fingerprints' is especially powerful. It names a God who is not afraid of mess, who works close enough to leave marks. And the critics, outer and inner; are not denied, but overlaid, named, and ultimately answered not by argument, but by Presence.
The photograph matters here. The vulnerability you speak of is not performative; it’s incarnational. The lines on your face are not failure; they are witness. They tell the truth of survival, of breath still moving, of fruit still being fed even in the dark.
How did it speak to me? It gave language to the slow mercy of God; the kind that does not pull us out prematurely, but stays until we can rise with Him. Thank you for trusting us with this. It feels like a gift offered with open hands.
Blessings,
Ze Selassie
Ze!!! Wow your response moved me! Thank you so much for your time and thoughtfulness with your response. Means so much! Yes.. "the lines on my face are not failure... they are witness." I seem to beat myself up - how I am aging... and just how messy I can get. BUT as you said, Jesus is not afraid of the mess. He gives me grace, I need to give myself grace! Amen to amen. I am so thankful you commented Ze!
To God be the glory!
YES!!!!
When the world feels heavy, and our thoughts are dim; when kindness seems to be a virtue very few can afford, we question our own abilities, our self-worth, and our creativity.
We feel alone within the confines of our own humanity. Our thoughts become shadows and questionable. The unstable past pleads to be released.
When a pause, a deep breath or a moment of gratitude seems too hard to manifest, sometimes shelter from the trouble is necessary. We look for cover, away from the intruder's glare: our own psyche.
So, you crawled into a hole; not a grave. A place of momentary refuge, protection, away from the overwhelming noise, the pain, the loss.
It's not giving up.
It's not surrendering.
It's survival.
He is in the hole with you. His arms around you... protecting you, Ashley. And, just as you said, he breathes new vigor into you, new hope, the desire to continue, to do what you do best when the battle seems all up hill.
So go and look for the ones who have recently been or are still waiting in their holes. The ones who need the encouragement you so readily give, and the light that surrounds you. They need your help--although they might not know it yet.
JIM!!!!! This was so well said, oh my. Thank you so much for these words of validation. They mean more than you know. It has been a rough last night and morning, so these words sound in my heart. Thank you so much. I appreciate you Jim, more than you know. I cannot wait for your book to come out . . . you help others in holes too. You are so very encouraging, helpful, and a great leader. Truly, sincerely. Blessings my friend, Ash
You have a gift with words and a hearing ear.
Ahhh thank you so much ❤️
Love this. It's raw and honest.
Ahhh Melissa thank you so much for that. That was what I as aiming for 🩶. Appreciate the love!
Appreciate you being vulnerable that is a hard thing to do, thank you so much and I can relate in diverse ways🤍🙏🕊️🥲 God bless you ♥️You are loved Ashley,so very much. Graceleannot/ Paula😌
GRACE!!!! WHAT!!!!!!!! I am so glad you are here! How are you?!?!? Oh my gosh I miss you! Thank you so much for commenting on this post. I am sorry you can relate... you are not alone either! YOU ARE LOVED!!! 🩷
Yeah I subscribe sometime back. But addicted to YouTube 🙄. I rarely come on here. Anyway so good to hear from you God bless luv 😌 God's good I have a lot to be grateful for ♥️🙏
It is so good to see you! I plan on being back on YouTube in February! I dont think I will post every day though… still praying on it. I am so glad you came over here for a while Paula!! Blessings to you!! I am so glad that you have so much to be grateful for, we all do! God bless you!
This doesn’t spiritualize suffering or deny it. It names the weight and then chooses presence over erasure. That feels both truthful and faithful. Wonderful writing.
Ahhhh Mandy, thank you so much for these words and taking the time to read my stuff!!! Means SO MUCH to me 🩶
Strong!
Thank you so much Brigita!
Dear Ashley.
I value, hold and reflect your vulnerability in this season.
xxx
Ahhh thank you Jenny! What beautiful words. I appreciate them 🩶. Blessings Jenny!
Jesus lifted me out of a hole this week too. ♥️the song. Sending 🫂🫂❣️
I know the song, I am like WHAT... so good. I am so glad Jesus lifted you from a hole too. I love your last poem... so good. If anyone is reading the comments, go check it out if you feel led . . . https://open.substack.com/pub/jenniemann/p/turn-my-face-o-lord-an-honest-prayer-poem-for-when-the-darkness-presses-in-to-overtake-and-the-soul-longs-to-turn-upward-toward-gods-light-again?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer
Wonderful poem ♥️
Thank you Vanessa!
Beautiful picture. You look so pensive.
I had to look up the word . . . lol. I was definetly in deep thought. Too deep. LOL. Jesus is good though. Thanks for reading Teresa, means so much when you look at my stuff!
I loved the poem.
Ahhhh thank you so much Stephan!! 🥰
My beautiful friend, your words are magical 💞
Ahhh Susan! Thank you for reading my poem!! Your encouragement always means so much to me! Blessings my friend! -Ash
Love this one. The Time of my season, this speaks to deeply. Amen.
Ahhh Terry, I am sorry that you are in a similar season. But sometimes it is such a good place to be in... I know that is weird to say.... but the Lord so meets us. I know you know that. I am glad it spoke to you. That is what I want my poetry to do... I want it to bring validation and then the heart of the Father. The Lord so has you Terry... (again I know you know that) but as your sister, I am just telling you again! Jon says hi! We love you brother! -Ashley
Thank you Cristina, that means alot! I am so glad you liked it 🩶. Blessings my new friend that I like so much!!!
Ahhhh good!! Now we can be twins toooo!