Standing Alone

Anytime I hear “Blue Moon” I’m transported back to the mustard-colored carpets of my childhood. Grease Lightning flashing from a small television screen. I was barely past puberty the first time I understood abandonment. Waiting in the spotlight of the moon like Sandra Dee for a boy who wouldn’t be coming over.

To moon or be mooned? It was the ultimate defense mechanism. I had to feel what it was like to be the cause of other people’s laughter.

Whenever Grease played, my sisters and I would pretend we were at the Bandstand, put on outfits, clap, tap and twirl. Tell my mom to be the judge as we tried our best to outshine each other. Even now, I wonder if it is colder to be tapped out or to dance on? Either way, I may end up standing alone.

Rare blue spotlight

exposes pale, fleshy parts.

Bare soul, but clothe heart.

d’Verse Poet’s Pub | Haibun Monday 8-28-23: Super Blue Moon~Join us.

Artwork: “Once In A Blue Moon” Linda Camel

Foy Vance “Blue Moon”

34 responses to “Standing Alone”

pandamoniumcat

Such a hard time of life captured well in the light of a blue moon. Mustard coloured carpets…my goodness that’s indeed what they were back then. Nice haibun, 🙂

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thank you so much. That color is forever my childhood.
  
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2. Ana Daksina
  
  And lime green. Don’t forget the lime green ~ shag, baby!! 🤭
  
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  1. pandamoniumcat
    
    Oh my I forgot. When I was flat sharing in my late teens I lived in an old flat from the twenties and it had lime green shag!! With straw walls painted white, framed with dark stained wood. LOL!!
    
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  2. Ana Daksina
    
    I had the lime green shag at the same age ~ with the orange Jetson’s sofa… 😱
    
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  3. K.F. Hartless
    
    Oh man. Like a fruit stand in there. I can picture it though. Those two were born wildly popular colors.
    
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  4. Ana Daksina
    
    I’m sorry to do this to you, but there were beanbags too. Even a giant banana one…
    
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  5. pandamoniumcat
    
    ha ha ha ha…well I think you win with the ol retro style. It’s fun to think back at all those crazy styles and trends. 🙂
    
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  6. Ana Daksina
    
    I take no kudos ~ this was my mother’s apartment. I was just there for the show.
    
    Really, the older we get, the more we naturally gravitate to a wabi sabi style appreciation for the eternal beauty underlying all these experimental styles, yes?
    
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Stine Writing and Miniatures

Sad and beautiful at the same time

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thank you. Yes, I had a beautiful musical-filled childhood, but it wasn’t without struggles.
  
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yourplateormine967244485

Beautiful and touching, you have such a wonderful soul capturing to your writing! So appreciate it!! 💞

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thank you, Pam. I had such a magical childhood. I have to thank my mother for guiding me to be imaginative and whimsical. 💜
  
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  1. yourplateormine967244485
    
    You are so welcome 🤗 and what a wonderful gift your mom gave you!! So many of us are so grateful for your gift of whimsy and imagination!! ✨💞💞
    
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ben Alexander

Whenever Grease played, my sisters and I would pretend we were at the Bandstand, put on outfits, clap, tap and twirl. Tell my mom to be the judge as we tried our best to outshine each other.

So beautifully nostalgic…

Bare soul, but clothe heart.

Wow…

Much love,
David

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thank you, David. I had to feel that last line by putting on the track and se what leaked out 💜
  
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  1. ben Alexander
    
    💟 🙏🏻 KK 🙏🏻 💟
    
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Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

I never saw Grease, but the music were part of our parties (and I got the record so we played it at home), but being in high-school it was not the coolest music to listen to either.

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Oh, man. To me, Grease is forever cool. But, I think my perspective is a little skewed as I was raised on a daily diet of musicals. Which actually explains a lot.🤣 Thanks for connecting with my post, Björn.
  
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petrujviljoen

Out-dancing John Travolta would have been a tall order at any time. Teenage years are so fraught! Enjoyed the glimpse into a time of your life.

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thank you. My heart flutters just thinking about how low he could go. 🤣💜
  
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Miriam E.

Wow, this gave me goosebumps. Such beautiful sadness in this… the pains of growing up & feelings of not being good enough – this Haibun resonated with me. A beautifully crafted Haibun. Thank you for taking me back to your childhood!

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thank you so much, Miriam. I have so many musical memories. The songs, the stories. They were a part of me and I still cling to them.
  
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kim881

Great memories! When ‘Grease’ came out I was living a different kind of life in Germany and, when not listening to my beloved Joni, I was headbanging to hard rock. But I can understand the allure of the film’s nostalgia, I smiled at ‘To moon or be mooned?’ and the haiku, which reminded me of what my grandmother called a naked bottom – the full moon of Brighton.

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Indeed. Yes, that moon that is pale and best left covered, in most cases. I saw the film and many more musicals because my mom was a musical buff. 80’s baby, here. I leaned a loft of life lessons in song, though.
  
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beth

fun memories!

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thanks, Beth. Musicals still are common language between me and my mother.
  
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Susan St.Pierre

Reminiscence can be so powerful! What clarity we have in hindsight. Thanks for this. ❤

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Indeed. I keep the musical going till this day. Song and silliness. It’s what keeps us sane around here.
  
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Susan Strasser, Blogger & Memoirist

Powerfully bittersweet, this whole blog. Thank you for a little perfect melody and throwback as I start my day. Peace out.

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  This is so kind. Thank you. I’m so happy to have grown enough that I feel comfortable sharing myself through my writing.
  
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Bridgette

Really powerful writing. Thank you for sharing your heart with us.

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1. K.F. Hartless
  
  Thanks for these comments. 💜
  
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2. K.F. Hartless
  
  💜
  
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