Katarina Stur

i feel myself becoming dumber, becoming more gullible, less critical, more in almighty control of my own negative thought spirals, and most importantly- i am actively feeling myself becoming more unhappy

there is bliss in softness

(in your soft gaze watching life pass by

without judgement

and being one with that peace

in soft grass cushioning your skull

while you count the chemtrails in the sky

in grazing touches that are barely noticeable

but oh are they noticed)

in the tenderness toward myself

i try so hard to keep alive

and in the forgiveness towards

“Be soft. Be soft. Be soft.

Substack—and the literary world and creative life in general—can be competitive and often harsh, and, yes, the path is thick with disappointment and even heartbreak. It’s also pocked with setbacks, rejections, jealousy, and, once in a while, a personal slight or two. Do not let these distractions become the landscape of

it’s nauseating, you see

the unbreakable bond

of womanhood

and shame

(personal journal 22)

plastic surgery and its interpretation as near-feminist is a direct consequence of the hyperindividualism of our currrent culture