It’s safe here,
guarded.
You can cuddle up.
It’s cozy here,
comfortable.
You can be secure.
Nightie-night.
Close your eyes.
You can rest now.
I hope you sleep well,
taking shelter
in the abyss.
This poem was inspired by one of the prompts in Reena’s Xploration Challenge #226. This week, Reena gives us a series of book title suggestions as inspirations for our post. I decided to use the first one as inspiration for this poem. I am also joining dVerse’s OLN, as well as Friday Writings #22. I didn’t quite understand the optional prompt for this week and the part about reusing words to craft a piece that’s of higher quality than the original, feels a bit, well, paradoxical to me. After all, I’m pretty sure I screwed up the original intent of that book title generator quite badly with this poem, but oh well.
A Multitude of Musings 
Guess you are thinking of bunkers. Abyss can be a life-saver at times.
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No, I wasn’t. I was actually playing around with the paradoxical nature of shelter in a deep abyss.
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Ohh! Good piece!
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Thank you.
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Reblogged this on Reena Saxena and commented:
Take shelter … by Astridetal
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I can think of this in several ways: the safety of crawling into bed and snuggling down into down comforters and retreating from the world…the abyss being the darkness of sleep and perhaps dreams. OR I can think of this as the air raid sirens screaming just before your pen hits the paper and we retreat to the bomb shelters, cuddle together, thinking this is the abyss, the darkest hole of fear and hoping we will be able to see the light again.
Thank you for posting to OLN at dVerse!
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Thanks for commenting! I did not think of most of these interpretations myself. I was actually playing around with the paradoxical nature of an abyss as a place of shelter.
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Now, I’m ready for a nap!
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Are you? It’s so interesting that most of you readers actually feel this way. My initial intent with this poem was kind of eerie, actually.
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This is lovely and I’m glad to have read it. Sometimes I pull out an old children’s book and read it again because it’s comforting. “The Runaway Bunny” is a favorite.
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Oh, that’s so interesting that you compared this poem to a children’s story. Thank you!
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I’ve found the abyss to be downright comforting, and a decent place to get your thoughts together. Especially if the only other option is people who disrupt any semblance of calm.
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That’s a really refreshing way of looking at it. Thank you!
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This led me to the dictionary! I was amazed to see everyone had warm thoughts about an abyss, but for me I always pictured a bottomless drop into nothingness, a frightening chasm to avoid. Everyone else’s interpretation is better!!
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Me too. Maybe I missed the possible multiple meanings of the word “abyss” too.
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Sweet and comforting. And then I fell into the abyss!
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Thank you for reading.
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What a wonderful piece, great work x
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Thanks so very much!
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Such a gentle, reassuring poem – until the last words undercuts it, jaw-droppingly!
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Thank you for reading and commenting.
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I liked your poem!
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Thanks. I’m glad you did.
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You make Abyss so soothing. If it’s like that ready to take a fall. Nice take.
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Thanks for your kind words.
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The last line threw me, as it changes the whole tone and meaning of the poem, into something far more deep and ominous. I like it!
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Thank you so very much for reading and I’m glad you appreciate my poem.
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Reading your comments that the abyss is used as the shelter, adds something that I didn’t think about. Thanks for adding that layer, it makes reading someone’s work more interesting.
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Thank you so much for reading my poem as well as the other comments. I’m glad you appreciate my writing.
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I thoroughly enjoyed your poem … a lovely write!!
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Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed my poem.
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I think an abyss is scary so finding shelter there is paradoxical. Made me think of Mariupol and people taking shelter under the continuing bombing.
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That’s such an interesting interpretation, thanks! I hadn’t thought of Mariupol yet.
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Your poem is beautiful! I related so much to it!
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Thank you for the compliment.
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