Boundaries that Bleed by Penni Livingston, The Lorax Lawyer

Summary

"Boundaries that Bleed" reflects on the challenges of personal growth and societal expectations, emphasizing the importance of embracing love and openness to overcome internal and external barriers.

Abstract

In "Boundaries that Bleed," Penni Livingston, known as The Lorax Lawyer, delves into the complexities of setting and respecting personal boundaries. The poem uses the metaphor of seeds and growth to illustrate the difficulty in choosing which opportunities to pursue. It acknowledges the frustration and resistance towards slow and arduous progress, as well as the dismissive attitudes often encountered from others. Livingston highlights the struggle against societal pressures and the internal conflict that arises from trying to meet expectations. The poem suggests that the true adversaries lie within and that the solution is to let in the 'light of Love.' It questions how to open guarded minds and suggests that loving those we might initially disdain is a path to achieving a sense of parity and harmony.

Opinions

The author expresses a reluctance to accept conventional opportunities for growth ("I don’t want all these opportunities to grow").
There's a sense of fatigue and skepticism about the effort required for progress ("The path forward is just too hard and too slow").
The poem conveys a harsh societal response to personal struggles ("The response I hear is you poor thing-Tough shit!").
It suggests that many people

Boundaries that Bleed by Penni Livingston, The Lorax Lawyer

Boundaries that bleed

hand out warnings to heed

The wind whispers: plant some seed

Yet all I hear is what the fuck do you need?

I don’t want your piddly seeds to sow

I don’t even like that particular row

I don’t want all these opportunities to grow

The path forward is just too hard and too slow

The response I hear is you poor thing-Tough shit!

Strikes me strange but seems to fit

Fates of too many taking a hard hit

The wall of shame, cannot good outwit?

Both sides of the proverbial line

Inspire investment in the sublime

No more wasted thought and time

Punished in ways of wrestled rhyme

The borders are seen to be quite thin

And most of the monsters are within

I don’t want to be bound to their sin

So the light of Love I must let in

Guarded minds with doors that bar

How shall we cast the doors ajar?

How can we love those we disdain afar

But with open hearted actions that achieve par