The most malleable metal is gold

If you were a metal you would be gold. Shining proud as day, lustre never fading.
Your beauty is unparalleled because it is timeless. Other metals, lesser metals, may have their time in the sun, but they could never hope to replace you.

Gold is not fragile, simply because it yields. It bends to the whims of stronger hands, true. But there is grace in its easy surrender, for it to be transformed into something new, something beautiful. No, gold is strong because it adapts and changes. It bends but does not break, like wild grass in a storm. You are not weak if you succumb to their taunts. You will come back stronger than ever.

You are gold because you are number one. The pinnacle of excellence. With all eyes on you, you shine brighter than the stars. Despite so much pressure, you climb ever higher. People just want to watch you crumble and fall. Nonsense. Gold doesn't crumble. They can try to hide you, shame you, drag you through mud. But after everything that happens, you will still shine; beautiful, as you are meant to be. Do not be afraid when people try to change you. The essence remains regardless.

- Wen Zhen

The Curse of Being

I love you, but I must kill you.

Your drunken delirium of colour will fade.
My gossamer touch, butterfly kisses,
fingerprints on your skin are your death:

Your life, for your art.

We are told, from our birth, that you, your kind, are prey.
Keep your distance, guard your heart; do you want it to break
every single time? Take them as liars, sweet ones, pretend
You do not see the ardour in their eyes, hearts razing to the ground
for you.
If you fall, you fall spiralling, and you will never hunt,
Never live again—
You will hate what you are.

Don't bend to them, to what they call love:
Be strong as steel,
Hard as rock.

But you, your soul singing through your script, move me;
lose me in our brief but fiery ceili.
Pure metal gives, igneous rock melts:
I, at the end, must face the fading of your haunting,
brilliant eyes,
Watch you wither like the cereus:
here tonight, and dead by dawn.

My greatest failure is love.

I looked back, I let my heart be swayed, moulded,
marked by your hand:
Never hunt, never live again

And once before so proudly fay
How gladly now would I burn my wings
set myself among mortal things
to love you yet another day.

{Claire}

Dear Charlotte

Inspired by the birth of the new royal, HRH Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Dear Charlotte,

You are as breath-taking as a bloom in autumn;

your eyes glitter like the first dew of dawn. Now,

as you look upon the lands, hopefully you'll see
the innocence of men as pure as your smile.

Raise them up,

with all you can.

Take a knee always, if need be,

to lend a helping hand.

Care with all your heart, your flesh and time.

Be malleable, Charlotte. Be fierce, be kind.

This world will tell you how one should

speak and sit and suit and show.

Be flexible, little warrior,

but also be bold.

This world wants you marble –

pure and pristine on a pedestal.

Marble is stunning and marble is exquisite,

but marble is too tenuously breakable.

Petite fearless fighter,

do not be afraid to bend.

Go out and greet the world;

experience, and understand.

Bleed the blood of our soldiers,

cry the tears of our poor,

feel the suffering of our homeless,

and you’ll make us sunnier. I am sure.

Be love, dear Charlotte, for it is expansive and strong.

Spread it wide, my princess. May you breathe life, live long!

Agnes Lee

Topic: Malleable (day 6)