Vulnerabilities – Visual Verse
— Read on visualverse.org/submissions/vulnerabilities/
VULNERABILITIES
Mark Tulin
I open up before you,
a motionless collection of parts.
I hide nothing.
Peer inside if you wish,
see my nuts and bolts
and how I once performed
in a world of control and demand.
My vulnerabilities, too numerous to mention.
My sentences, periods, and semicolons,
voice operated; powered by a blu ray,
controlled by a master of design.
Everything that I wanted you to see
without flesh and blood to get in the way.
Now, only now, when my facade is peeled back,
will you understand the burden I bear,
loose left and right hemispheres,
connections susceptible to disrepair
like a tin person without an oil can,
I stand here before you
without certainty and certitude,
out of the loop, and inoperable.
Crow On The Wire 
Oh, my, aren’t we all this – sometimes, many times, all the time? Very powerful! Beginning with the prompt, which is powerful on its own.
My sentiments exactly, Martha!
That visual caught my attention and I decided to give it a try. As I age, I feel more and more exposed like that robot.
outstanding!
Thank you, wendi. I don’t normally do picture prompts, but that one was irresistible. 🙂🙂
well, it left me speechless…..so well done!
🙏🏻🙏🏻
Quite an amazing piece Mark… a brilliant analogy… creatively superb
Thank you, Ivor.
That’s a winner for sure. I particularly like “tin person without an oil can”
Thank you, JT. It wasn’t a tin man because robots are non-gender or non-binary. 🙂🙂
Red it just the other day. Stunning read, Mark.
Thank you, Bojana. Visual Verse is an interesting site with some amazing visual prompts.
Right?
I’ll see more of you there, then.
Yes, I think so, Bojana. Perhaps not on a regular basis, but when I feel the need to shake things up. I don’t normally work from visual prompts, more from ideas or things that I hear. How about you?
I used to be like you, Mark, but what I’ve learned is these prompts send me places I wouldn’t normally go. That’s why I love them, that is I learned to enjoy them. Besides, it’s a good writing exercise and can be quite fun.
Thanks, Bojana. I guess it really doesn’t matter where the prompt comes from, it’s connecting to a truth.
True. We’re surrounded by prompts, waiting for us to put them into words.
Well done. Congratulations.
Thank you, Merril. 😊
🙂
Whoa! That can apply to us all, right? No one really shows their internal…that’s between ourselves and God. Extraordinary writing, Mark.
I’m not sure we know what’s in there ourselves. Peace. ✌🏻🙏🏻