Poetry found in the most unlikely places

This piece was inspired by a prompt from Medium’s The Writers Circle —

Write about a moment that changed how you see the world — small or large, but irreversible.

Tasted so many gothic lies,
and found solace in poetry dangling
from hillsides and treetops,
from daggers to machetes,
from treadmills and thigh masters
to weeds and wildflowers,
and most especially from the tip
of the hungriest tongue.
But poetry and pasta?

Feed me pasta and poetry by the forkful
and you can flaunt your abs and flex your fiber.
I won’t say another word.
We can barely stay awake for the news at 11.
But while we were sleeping
someone’s been nicked
and bruised
and left to die.
Or wounded under strangled, tangled clouds
from a distant humid moonlit sky.
Or some stranger bled words of poetry
that pooled like messy puddles,
hieroglyphics
in a concrete jungle,
thirsty riverbanks left to dry.
But there you are fast asleep.
Cha-ching, cha-ching, dreaming of what tomorrow
may bring.

Poetry in the most unlikely spaces.
I can see poetry in the eyes of my rottweiler,
in the queue wrapped around the corner,
in the dangerous riptide that destroys the gentle reed,
in the sweetest most genuine smile,
in the soothing shade of the hottest summer day.

Grace notes: My life and perspectives changed when I found poetry in the most unlikely places. And maybe that’s how modern poetry has evolved. Where’s the most unlikely place you’ve found poetry?

This piece was inspired by a prompt from Medium’s The Writers Circle —

“Write about a moment that changed how you see the world — small or large, but irreversible.”

I enjoyed the creative, interactive, engaging experience of Medium’s
The Writers Circle on Zoom. Link to free registration — The Writers Circle.

© Connie Song 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Pasta with a Side of Poetry was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Little bits of me sitting on the curb black-bagged
waiting for the sanitation haul.
Convinced the afterlife
like tossed, crumpled poetry
is highly over-rated.
Definitely not housed in some designated landfill
south of the I-95.

It’s not that I’ll miss
the geese by the lakeside of the road,
hand-in-hand sun-soaked walks in a cushioned meadow,
fragrant wildflowers
and blades of purple grass.
Barefoot.
His relaxed smile.
The way we would laugh, even when the world
slowly and suddenly fell apart.

Still, a small part of us remains
on whatever we have touched,
wherever we have been.
Now, it seems so long ago
like one last tarnished moonlit kiss
indelibly imprisoned
in the creases
of my scattered monkey mind.

Grace notes: My monkey mind. The one that jumps from present
to past, from love to loss to moments of enlightenment. Wandering,
disjointed, untamed, digressed, loosely intertwined thoughts and
memories and musings, like a monkey swinging from branch to branch, recalling, reliving how incredibly hard it was for me to get over a breakup and move on with my life.

But maybe a monkey mind is not such a bad thing for a writer?
Maybe it’s my salvation. My reincarnation. My reinvention. What do you think?

© Connie Song 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Monkey Mind was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

My good friend thinks I’m a freak of nature. All because I’ve never tasted Starbucks coffee or Popeye’s chicken.

We’ve actually known each other since college days. Admittedly, we’re different. But not disconnected. In some ways, I feel closer to her than I do to some long-lost blood relatives. Not that I’d ever consider doling out a kidney or a week’s pay. Still, she’s a good friend and sounding board.

The point is, at one time or another, everyone laments the disconnect we may sense in today’s world.

Admittedly, it was the pandemic that dramatically changed things for me. It’s when I became increasingly reclusive and mildly agoraphobic.

Now, each day, every night, whether wasted or purposeful, is directed towards my recovery.

And trust me, it’s not something easy to accomplish.

At least 100 steps a day across the plaza.

Deep down, the old me craved connection.

Now, I’m comfortably numb being somewhat disconnected. (Thanks to Pink Floyd.)

I was one of those mortals who reveled in pulling that invisible thread
that connects even the most unlikely packs of humans. What secrets do distance runners, gangsters, financial planners, word mongers, exhausted moms, side-hustlers, foodies and ASMR-blocked freelance writers have in common to survive and stay motivated?

Now would normally be a good time to take a sip of your Dunkin’ or your Earl Grey before we explore.

In such a hyperactive digital world, why do we feel so disconnected? And how can we safely and discreetly plug in? And out?

When I first became so snuggled and secure in my comfortable cocoon, aka my home equipped with technology, texts and social media, I thought it might be a good way to stay connected, without leaving the house.

I may have miscalculated. The question became — did my chronic social media intake contribute to my isolation and depression? Did it have a role in making me anti-social?

Why unravel survival secrets to manage the disconnection?

Why not?

Secret # 1 — Managing social media, doom scrolling & freedom of expression

“The thing about opinions is everyone has one.”
— aesthetically attributed to William Shakespeare

Now, I have to ask myself — did rigorous scrolling of social media and comments make me feel exhausted? Exhilarated? Entertained? Depressed? Envious? Cynical? Fearful? Intimidated? Sickened? Resilient? Vocal? Nonverbal?

How can that possibly be?

Did I choose to temporarily opt out of a system laced with illusion, trolls, haters, fake AI, bots? And what about the anatomy of an internet hater — are they fueled by jealousy, furious debate and their need for attention and fame, be it notoriety?

How much scrolling time is too much? How much is as addictive as sugar, nicotine and alcohol? Could you stop if you wanted to?

Unless, of course, you are one of the influencers (I personally know a few) who must post several times a day to receive maximum views and decent, impressive payouts from sites, sponsors and brands, not to mention free food and products for endorsement. These digital entrepreneurial hustlers are obsessed with their million hits and have developed a thick skin because it’s become their business, their brand, an important source of income, their livelihood.

I would be a hypocrite if I told you I curate my time and my scrolling of social media. All I can say is I now more clearly see the triggers and the pitfalls. The cushions and thorns to my mental health and well-being.

Maybe I have the advantage of remembering a distant world where my every move didn’t fall under the possible scrutiny of a candid audio/video camera. It is beyond scary, now. Though commonplace, empowering and socially acceptable.

I came across an interesting observation from author, Jonathan Haidt.

“Gen Z became the first generation in history to go through puberty with a portal in their pockets that called them away from the people nearby and into an alternative universe that was exciting, addictive, unstable…”
 — The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt

I agree. Social media is a portal to an alternative universe.

Secret # 2— No pain, No gain

“Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.”

— Drew Barrymore

Pain. It just might be the one thing that we all have in common. Even though it disconnects us from a healthy, pain-free version of ourselves.

There are three extremely active, homegrown soccer players and running enthusiasts in my household, which usually reeks of stinky jock straps, sports bras, shorts, socks, leggings and sweatshirts, Bio-Freeze and Bengay. To them, a good workout is when they “feel the burn.”

I proudly own a bicycle and gym membership, which transitioned into physical therapy sessions and a stationary bike, once sciatica, hip and knee pain kicked in. Such is life. Pleasure and pain.

Getting rid of pain is an all-American and global preoccupation and obsession. Something that connects us.

However, I can attest to the fact that debilitating pain disconnected me from living my previous life.

I had no choice but to learn survival techniques.

But I’ve experienced pain on different levels. Grief, heartbreak, trauma.
Things that leave scars. Things that overwhelm.

The quintessential question is — does our pain define us? Does it build character and resilience?

Does it really make us stronger?

Secret # 3— Trusting your gut instincts

Edie: “I don’t trust friendly women.”
Lynette: “That’s ok. They don’t trust you either.”

— Desperate Housewives

I estimate my suspicious gut is right about 79.8% of the time. I want to cautiously trust people in my circle. Sometimes, I get burned.

There were times when family warned me about boyfriends, but I didn’t always see what they saw, including the red flags. I didn’t listen. Maybe I needed to sniff them out, for myself.

If something felt good, I didn’t want to sever the desired connection.

Disconnection could bring pain. Little did I know it could be a blessing.

Experience, aka street smarts, means connecting yourself
to your compass, your radar, your gut feelings that might turn out to be your superpower.

Secret # 4 — ISO (in search of) | SEO (search engine optimization)

I didn’t choose writing.

It chose me.

It became my refuge. My oxygen. My DNA.

My survival secret.

My purpose.

I’m a bibliophile (Greek, ‘lover of books’), a lexophile (Greek, ‘lover of words’), and have most definitely experienced Medium’s head honcho’s schreibvergnügen (German, ‘joy of writing’).

On occasion, I feel the ASMR euphoric tingling of a surfer’s high.
Other times, there’s a sense of dread, right before I press the ok to publish button.

Metaphorically, writing can be my poison, my prison.

My disconnect from other demands in my life.

It’s my tunnel-vision, whether I’m laser-focused or hopelessly blocked. (Which happens quite frequently when the well goes dry.)

But I want to believe that writing is my lifeline. My connection.

So, I’m not particularly fond of crowds or subways. (Can you blame me?) But I don’t want to go a day without breathing the chlorine from my neighbor’s pool or picking pretty wildflowers blooming in my overgrown garden, even under a charcoal sky. And completing 100 steps across the plaza.

Then go back to my writing.

How about you?

Grace Notes: Can connection help me with writer’s block? Actually, I’m amazed this piece initially came to me during Medium’s Writing Hour. Additionally, I just registered for Medium’s Writing Circle on Zoom, free of charge. I’m looking forward to more writing inspiration, prompts, and engaging with other writers.

© Connie Song 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Why We Feel So Disconnected in a Hyperactive Digital World was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s been a crazy week.

Seeing family for my aunt’s funeral. Running to buy something to wear. Head gets filled with sadness plus happy nostalgia.

The weather crazy to say the least.

What have I been reading on Medium?

Franco Amati on Scuzzbucket.

Iceberg’s Poetry and The Crooked Circle Publications on Medium.

The Mad River Publication on Medium.

So happy they featured my poem, Roadkill.

I needed to feel that kick from getting a favorite poem of mine published.

Wonderful news that Louise Foerster has joined as an editor on the publication, Scribe. I’ve had the pleasure of reading Louise’s work
and she’s one of my longtime favorite writers.

Oh, and are you ready? Join the fun. Save the date. It’s the second annual Medium Day to be held on August 17th, 2024. Here’s the posting in case you missed it. Read the article to see how you can play a part.

• A better internet, together
• A better internet, together

Getting back to …

My big Italian family was happy to read my poems on Medium. What I love about Italians getting together to celebrate memories, family and food is how nostalgic it is for me. I love my crazy family. Stories to come. I hope they don’t mind.

tags: Franco Amati, Thomas James, Juliet James, Wolf Eberhardt,
Peculiar Julia, Louise Foerster, Connie Song, Thomas Gaudex

© Connie Song 2024. All Rights Reserved.

What I’ve Been Reading was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

and should I renew my Medium membership?

It’s almost that time of year for me.

There’s still plenty of time, but soon enough, my Medium membership will be coming up for subscription renewal.

Like any anniversary in my life, I either celebrate, continue with the madness or cut the cord, for a variety of reasons.

By the way, I read some awesome pieces in the past month.

Here’s three you might be interested in checking out:

Susan Wheelock

Sometimes Angels Appear When You Need Them The Most

Claire Franky

He Walked Out During Our First Date

Praise Frank

The Wailer

Dear reader — if you came across a story or poem that I might have not yet read, and had an impact on you, please feel free to recommend!

© Connie Song 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Three Medium Stories that I Loved was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Poetry & Prose

“I can see a thousand angels dancing on the tip of a pin.”
 — Paraphrased from Colossians 2:18, 19

This fact remains — there are many talented, diversified poets and writers on Medium who manage to take my breath away.

Their poetry may be raw and edgy or exquisitely sublime; they may weave storylines or play with words.

They may heighten my appreciation of the mundane or cut me deep and sharp in places I’m reluctant to expose.

They may inspire.

It would take me eternity to list just a few of these Medium poets and their writing that have tugged or gnawed at me.

Here’s four random excerpts I recently highlighted and am sharing with you now —

“I squeeze like a death wish
between two men picking a fight,
feel myself splitting
into a box for yes, a box for no.”
— Ema Dumitru, Feed Me Your Fiction

“I am inserted into dialogue. Not about me: around me. I cannot hear all the things that are said. Only following, always, relentlessly, the shape of mouths as they head backwards through their weeks.”
 — J.D. Harms, I Want You to Know

“I stare out the kitchen window, anchored by sound. Washing machine rocking, spinning, churning thoughts beating a rhythm inside my skull. The sun, a white disc hovers over the mountains, at its zenith, the day half gone.”
 — Zivah Avraham, Run, Hang, Slip

“I replace you with a more traditional bookmark
and softly fold you with symmetry and care.
With slight reluctance, I place you in a drawer…
soft shut -”
— Scott Fountain, Urban Lipstick

Grace notes — I suspect most of you are already familiar with these writers or might like to check out their writing on Medium.

© Connie Song 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Four Medium Poets to Check Out was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Important note: Please be aware that I will never ask you join me at whats app to join a writers’ group. It’s the bots who clone legit Medium accts, even misspelling the name. Please report these fake bots to Medium cyber security via the three dots to the right of the fake imposter comment as Medium rules violation. Let’s crush these bots.

Beware Fake Bot Clone on Medium was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Did you feel today’s earthquake?

Were you home when it happened?

Around 10:30am, my house started to shake. It was a rolling kind of movement and rumbling.

I immediately checked to see if it was the furnace or washing machine area. It wasn’t. Nor was it drilling, construction, a heavy truck or traffic.

My neighbors came outside, full of questions about the earthquake.
I don’t know if we felt safer being outside. So grateful that I heard
no reports of damage or injuries in my area from this.

We are not accustomed to feeling earthquakes in my region. Did you feel it today, as well?

© Connie Song 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Did You Feel the Earthquake? was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What side of the car is your steering wheel?

Interestingly enough, driving and roads vary from country to country. There are three research questions to this global survey if you’re interested:

1. Which side of the road do people drive on, right or left?
2. Which side of the car is the steering wheel?
3. What is the make and model of popular cars in your locale
   or cars that your family favors or would like to drive? (example, Volkswagen Jetta)

Looking forward to hearing from you if you find this remotely interesting.

© Connie Song 2024. All Rights Reserved.

What Side of the Road Do You Drive On? was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Here’s what you need to know.

There are cyber-scammers out there who will try to impersonate a legit Medium account & profile picture and send out fake replies to your comments, with the tricky imposter inviting you to message them on Telegram or Whatsapp or whatever, to join writing groups for a fee or worse. Beware. It’s a fake. Even if you’re misled to think it’s from a trusted colleague on Medium.

You need to know to Report these scammers to Medium asap via the three dots located to the right of the fake message. Also, let the legit account holder know they’re being spammed.

Here’s an interesting and important article from Medium writer Janaka Stagnaro that will shed more light on this topic. It’s well worth the read.

A New Year’s Spam on Medium

Are you already aware of this scam? Knowledge is power. Let’s spread the word.

© Connie Song 2024. All Rights Reserved.

The Best Way to Not Get Scammed on Medium was originally published in Purple Ink on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.