Marilyn Monroe
Life is lived in gulps when you’re creative, when you’re beautiful, when you’re smart, when you’re born very poor and a female. Those irreconcilable differences of who and why you even exist, much less the fabric of who you are become inconsolable when alone, so once famous enough you gulp at things in a curious mixture of compelling needs, desires and forbidden fruit.
Filling needs unfillable by your definition of life and understanding. Too little, too late, and unendurable doubt of what is real and true.
So more and more those gulps of life lived on the edge take over, extremes of danger, risk, passion. Either that or through oblivion’s eyes watch as night stretches endlessly out towards the unattainable, cleanly defined by who you are not.
Longing to be just who you are – not who you made yourself become – to be recognized.
*
not who I am
filling nights endless void
all I am not
***
Marilyn Monroe (photo above “street art depiction”) is undoubtedly one of the most famous recognizable hollywood actresses in the world today although her stardom and death happened more than a half a century ago.
She is viewed as a major sex symbol and yet Norma Jeane Mortenson (her real name) poor, lonely and indifferently bandied about foster care homes for most of her youth understood, at a very young age, that her best chance at life was to become something other than what she was. The view from her talented and intelligent eyes being that what she was – wasn’t working very well as far as life’s conditions went.
Her last few years are indicative of the emotional trauma within her. Illness, drug problems, depression. And yet today she is a pop and cultural icon, due entirely to the fact of how well she recreated herself – sadly for the wrong reasons – Acceptance! She died of an overdose of barbiturates in 1962! Her legacy lives on.
Thank you for dropping by.
This is the Haven of Haibun, Consider it a home away from home for haibun writers/readers. If you would like to have one of your previously published or posted haibun or haiku reposted here, please let me know in the comment section. I would enjoy displaying your work for you!
~ Penny
A Writer's Styling of Words 
Reblogged this on TheWhyAboutThis and commented:
Hi, as many of you know, I love writing Haibun, for quite awhile now (in my spare time, ha,ha) I’ve worked on a blog site dedicated to Haibun, so check it out if you have time – Penny
What a stunning tribute to a stunning woman. A real woman. Not a size 6 or size 00, but real.
Thank you for sharing with us Penny
A pleasure. It does remind us, Alastair of what is really important in our lives and what she struggled so hard to find for herself!
I don’t know if you have seen lately, Keira Knightly has posed topless for the world to see because she is against photoshopping and she wants to be seen as she is, and not as she is made out to be. She wants women to be proud of their bodies and themselves.
A lovely write, Penny.
Thanks, I did the research which was really depressing what she went through as a young girl! And how she survived … sort of!
A tribute that shines like its subject, one of the 20th Century’s brightest stars.
Beautifully, poignantly written.
AnElephant is honoured if you find anything in his writing worthy of inclusion alongside yours.
You are way too kind with your praise. Thank you, very much. 🙂 xo
So glad I found you here.. about to try my first Hailbun and this is just so beautiful..
Good Luck with your haibun, Rosalind, I have a hunch you’ll be a natural at it! And thank you so kindly for your compliment!
Thank you Penny…x
I mean Haibun…
Yes, I figured that, glad to know I’m not the only one who makes typo’s! 🙂