But listen
You are allowed to take up space
To speak and not explain
To choose and not apologise
To rest without guilt
The world does not collapse when you say no
You are not unkind for drawing a line
You are not selfish for wanting more
There is power in your presence
Even when it is firm
Even when it is loud
Even when it is yours
#roksanatales
What part of you have you been quieting, and is it time to let it speak?
I♥️
You live in the hush between footsteps
Where city streets hold the calm of your stride
And your coffee becomes a quiet ritual
No rush
Just the rhythm of your own becoming …
The world moves, but you are not chasing it
Shopfronts blur behind you like pages already read
Your strength wraps around your soul
Here, and now, in the heart of the everyday life …
#roksanatales
Hiraeth/ Welsh
(/ˈhɪər.aɪθ/ or /ˈhɪər.æθ/)
A homesickness for a place you can’t return to, or that never was. It’s a deep longing, part memory, part desire, for something lost, or something just out of reach.
A peaceful presence touched by unspoken depth
How alluring it is to see you in dreams
How elegant it is to feel your silence drift in
Quiet as breath between words
Anchoring everything without demand …
#roksanatales
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Sakin/ a Turkish word
meaning calm, still, or quiet
In the most vulnerable moment
As I painted these magnolias
I felt the quiet plea for understanding ….
Breathing peace, calm and mindfulness
Into each gentle stroke, I imagined a mind in turmoil
Needing patience more than correction …
That’s a healing feeling
To meet another’s struggle with still hands and an open heart
As if cradling a flower that blooms differently, but no less beautifully …
🌺
#roksanatales
As I painted the magnolia in watercolor in midst of the most vulnerable part of my life, I felt it to my core and each petal reminded me of how delicate and unique every person is, specially those living with mental challenges.
This artwork and poem are a reminder to approach others with patience, gentleness, and empathy, just as we would care for a blooming flower
Can we learn to hold each other with that same tenderness?
Also, what is the true meaning for empathy to you? What actions can we take for being a true empathetic human being?
14th May, 2025
Goodmayes, London
It’s special to be special
The stars whispered your name before you were born …
You walk like thunder under a sky unsure of rain
Your eyes flicker, sunlight through fast-moving clouds
The world watches
They name your storms, chart your brightness
Forget the stillness in your quiet seas
Your laughter bursts like spring rivers
Then vanishes into frozen fields
You are not broken
You are a rare sky with weather only some learn to love …
#roksanatales
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Have you ever spent time with someone who has bipolar disorder? What was it like to be around them during their depressive episodes or manic phases? Did you notice anything in particular about how they acted or how it made you feel?
Take care
I♥️
No Matter What, Smile
You might say it’s easy for me to say this
But let me put on your shoes and step into
your struggles
your pain
your heartaches
your betrayals
your despair
and your losses
Even then,
with all of it held in my heart,
I’ll still say this:
Smile, my friend. No matter what
#roksanatales
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What if this one small smile is the first light breaking through? You never know. So Smile always, my dear! No matter what!
Why is love so sweet?
Maybe love is sweet because it doesn’t ask to be explained
It shows up in the smallest gestures
A glance held a little longer
A smile that stays even after you’ve looked away …
When I write ‘I♥️’
I’m not writing a word
I’m pointing toward you …
Toward the way your presence softens the edges of my day …
Toward the way love makes ordinary moments glow …
You are what I mean
Without needing to say anything more …
#roksanatales
After quite a while, I’ve written something that resembles a love poem, if it can be called that
The words came to me unexpectedly. I suddenly thought, ‘Why is love so sweet?’ And just like that, the rest flowed through me as if it had been waiting all along
On a different note, I’ve recently been watching the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines’ and maybe, in its quiet moments and tender storytelling, it’s been softening something in me, opening a space where words like these could return
Funny question! Have you seen this Netflix series, ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines?’
I♥️
I walk into the light with a smile
Borrowed from yesterday’s strength
People greet the version of me
Who knows how to nod, how to sparkle …
Behind my teeth
Grief folds itself into silence
I carry it like a hidden bruise, tender, unseen
A quiet weight I’ve learned to balance …
#roksanatales
Sometimes, I find myself simply observing those who seem ‘normal’, the way they speak, the words they choose to describe their experiences, how they react, or how they present their abilities with such careful confidence. Their ease in communication fascinates me, as if they instinctively know how to navigate social expectations.
At times, being among them makes me feel out of place, as if I exist on a different wavelength. Yet, I take myself lightly, even when they joke at my expense. I do not mind, because their amusement does not define me. In fact, I feel a strange sense of joy when they fail to understand me, because, deep down, that’s exactly what I prefer.
Those of us who are born different, who experience the world through a mind that society struggles to categorize, are often labeled with terms and diagnoses. But these labels do not define us. We are nature’s unique creation, wired to perceive life in ways they cannot grasp. And perhaps, they do not need to understand us.
Only a few people ever truly see us for who we are, and that is the rarest gift. The most powerful truth is that we are the ones who teach them how to understand us. It is not luck that allows them to connect with us, it is our choice to let them in. And for that, they are truly fortunate …
A tale from a psychologically challenged soul
#roksanatales
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Étranger/ french
Meaning is ‘Stranger’. It reflects the sense of being apart from the norm, of existing on a different wavelength, and not being fully understood by society
If everyone approaches their work with grace and sees their path as a masterpiece in progress, each action becomes meaningful, turning life into a beautiful creation
Be a mindful rebel, challenge the ordinary with awareness, embrace creativity with intention, and walk your path with purpose
Be in the journey, for the destination is not the priority. Every step, every moment, and every experience shape the masterpiece of your life
So there is no sorrow if you travel alone, your journey is yours to embrace. Walk with courage, let solitude be your strength, and trust that every path you take is leading you exactly where you need to be
#roksanatales
Satori/ (悟り)
a Japanese word meaning ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment,’ capturing the essence of mindful rebellion, purposeful journeying, and embracing one’s unique path with grace.
The hands that give will one day be empty
The voice that speaks will soon fade into silence
What remains when time takes it all away?
“Zikr” (ذکر)/ arabic word
meaning remembrance, often used in a spiritual context to signify remembering what truly matters
I♥️
Spring is approaching
Yet, a melancholy mood lingers
Life is in pause
Soft buds hesitate on the branch
Unsure if warmth has truly returned
A hush lingers in the earth
As if waiting for permission to bloom
#roksanatales
I♥️
A love story happening everyday, here
Now and forever …
They stood by the river
Hands barely touching
The city humming around them
Unaware of the quiet storm within …
Big Ben watched in silence
Counting the seconds between heartbeats
While the London Eye turned slowly
Seeing love form and dissolve in its arc …
The water carried their voices away
Soft confessions lost in the tide
Until only the wind remembered
What they could not say …
A love story happening everyday, here
Now and forever …
#roksanatales
I♥️
Be gentle with me, my love
Like the dawn touching the sea
Soft, steady, never rushing forward
Be gentle with me, my love
Like roots holding the ancient tree
Firm, patient, never demanding more
Be gentle with me, my love
Like mist wrapping the quiet hills
Light, lingering, never pressing too close
Be gentle with me, my love
Like a river shaping the stone
Persistent, tender, never breaking apart
Be gentle with me, my love
Like the moon pulling the tides
Distant, devoted, never letting go
Be gentle with me, my love
#roksanatales
I♥️
There once was a verse, soft and free
Whispered wild like the wind through a tree ‘I’m the poem,’ I say …
‘Not the poet today ….
For the words are the ones shaping me.’
#roksanatales
How often do you let go of the extra?
The clutter of thoughts, things and plans …
Do you feel lighter when there’s less to carry
Or does the quiet frighten you?
Sometimes, life only speaks when it’s simple …
#roksanatales
I’ve left my heart over there
Alive in the mountain’s embrace
Where silence speaks louder than words ….
#roksanatales
Saudade/ portuguese
(n.) a profound emotional state of longing or nostalgia, often for something or someone absent, with a mix of melancholy and beauty
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Have you ever experienced a deep longing or nostalgia for a place?
For me, it’s Kashmir. You probably already know this, don’t you?
I♥️
Your story and mine, left incomplete …
A tale unfinished, yet echoes remain where we meet …
Saudade/ Portuguese
A deep emotional state of longing or nostalgia for something or someone absent or incomplete.
Farq Hai: looping this song, all day long
I♥️
Sometimes I feel a crave for you
Like I need to talk to you just right now
Like I need to see you just right now
Like I need to hold your hand just right now
Like I need to feel your heartbeat near mine
Like I need to hear you say my name softly
Like I need to lose myself in your gaze
Like I need to sit with you in comfortable silence
Just right now …
Sometimes I feel a crave for you
Like I need to share the small joys of my day
Like I need to tell you all the words left unsaid
Like I need your presence to make everything feel whole
Like I need your warmth to melt away the cold …
Like I need to know you’re always close
Like I need to believe in the magic of us
Like I need you, endlessly and without reason
Because with you, everything feels just right …
#roksanatales
Your absence hums like a violin string snapped mid-note
A comet that vanished before its trail could unfold
The eclipse of a lighthouse on a storm-battered coast …
Time crawls, a spider weaving webs of empty hours
Memories linger like fireflies trapped in a jar
Each one dimming, yet refusing to fade into stars …
Your voice was rain stitching needles through thirsty leaves
Now silence looms like an unfinished symphony’s grief
A mosaic missing its most vivid, sacred piece…
I search for you in the scent of forgotten gardens
In waves that speak like poets lost to their stanzas
In winds that carry secrets of unuttered mantras …
Truth is, I miss you like the moon misses its tides
A ship adrift, no constellations to confide
The ache of a heart where all its echoes reside
#roksanatales
I♥️
I love the mystery in you
A quiet depth, like a still lake at dusk
Holding reflections that shift with every glance
The shadow you cast
Is not absence but presence
A soft veil over what could be, inviting me to wonder, not to solve …
You are a riddle
Pieces scattered like stars in a wide open sky
Each clue a whisper of meaning, yet the answer stays just out of reach …
A whirlwind stirs within you
Not chaos but motion
Drawing me closer, only to spin me into wonder again …
You are a mystery box
Sealed with care and quiet allure
Its weight a promise of something unseen
Waiting for those who dare to open without haste …
And yet, I do not seek to solve you
For the beauty lies in not knowing
To stand at the edge of your mystery is a wonder enough for me …
The word “Mystère” comes from the Latin word “mysterium,” meaning “secret” or “something hidden.”
The unknown can be beautiful and fascinating in its own right
What do you say?
I♥️
Carry the light, even when shadows press close!
Know that the spark you offer is
A ripple in the vast, unseen glow …
Let the weary heart find strength
In the promise: His light endures …
Unchallenged, unswerving
A beacon no darkness can claim …
#roksanatales
🌺 ✨
Painting flowers, specifically wildflowers brings me so much joy. The freedom to create soft, flowing shapes and play with colors feels relaxing and uplifting. It’s a beautiful way to connect with nature and let my imagination bloom. It brings delight, reminding me of the simple beauty in wild, untamed things …
What brings you joy? – I always wonder!
I don’t write to change other’s view
Yet with each word, my mind finds clarity
I write not to make a difference, it’s true
But to drift away, escaping the reality …
I don’t paint to transform the world
But to steady the tremor within my soul
Each brushstroke a whisper of stillness
Each color a fragment of the peace I seek …
I don’t dance to dazzle or be seen
But to let the weight of the day fall away
Each step a silent prayer, each movement a release
Until I am nothing but breath and fleeting grace …
I don’t smile to hide the ache inside
But to remind myself of the light I can still hold
Each curve of my lips a quiet rebellion
Against the weight that tries to pull me below
Simply saying whether it’s through writing, painting, dancing, or smiling, I don’t do these things for others, I do them to heal and comfort my soul. These and more reflect my journey of seeking and creating my own sense of inner peace …
How do you find your inner solace?
Even if it’s just a few words from you
They fill my heart with joy
A quiet happiness that stays
Making me feel seen
Making me feel loved …
Even if it may not reflect
How you truly think of me
Or anything more than passing thought
Yet still, it is enough …
Even if it’s just a faint glow
Like the moon’s light through distant clouds
It softens the darkness within me
A quiet reminder that warmth still exists …
#roksanatales
I’m listening to a song
Hoping you are too …
It feels like it carries messages
Only you would understand …
I dive into its meaning
As if the lyrics are threads
Weaving stories of us
In a language only the heart speaks …
It tells me you are light
Not blinding, but steady …
A quiet presence
That shifts the shadows in my world …
My heart whispers
‘Stay, even for a moment’ …
It doesn’t care where life leads
It only wants to feel you here …
These feelings, unspoken and vast
Feel like gifts the song carries
I wonder if you’ll hear them too …
#roksanatales
🎶
I recently came across the poem, ‘Tell Me Tomorrow’ by Becky Hemsley, and I absolutely loved it. The poem feels similar to the musings above. It talks about unspoken feelings, hope, and the quiet longing for someone’s presence. They show how love can be patient and gentle, even when words are hard to say. The musings and the poem capture the beauty of waiting and the desire to connect …
I don’t know about you, yet I wish to know what you think about both, My musings and the poem …
I♥️
Last night, I woke up twice
The silence heavy, the air still
Each time, your face filled my thoughts
As if my heart knew only one path …
I reached for my phone
Wanting to write to you today
Something, anything
Because if this isn’t love
I don’t know what is …
#roksanatales
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After a while, loving how my thoughts flow into words
I glance at my phone,
Hoping to see a message from you,
But no, it’s empty,
And I tell my heart, “It’s okay.”
I hold on to hope,
That something might arrive soon,
But still, nothing,
And I whisper, “It’s okay.”
Time passes slowly,
The silence grows long,
But I remain patient,
Saying softly, “It’s okay.”
The wait lingers on,
A quiet ache in my chest,
Yet I smile gently,
And tell myself, “It’s okay.”
In the stillness of the day,
I find comfort within,
Even without a message,
I remind my heart, “It’s okay.”
#roksanatales
How do you find peace in moments of waiting and uncertainty?
Walk your path with quiet strength
Unaffected by the noise of others
Intentions speak louder than explanations
And peace grows from within ….
#roksanatales
What keeps you grounded when others misunderstand you?
Do you agree
That those who overthink are the ones who overlove?
I wonder
When we love, don’t we hold our beloveds so tightly in our thoughts?
Isn’t it so?
Love and worry blend
Two threads braided in the mind
And perhaps it’s why we bear those heavy aches now and then
(I mean headaches ☺️)
Each thought, wrapped in care
Each care, pressed close to the heart …
Love, relentless, always seeks:
To protect
To understand
To be enough …
So tell me
Whether a heart can feel that depth of love without also feeling the weight of worry
Or
If worry inevitably ‘shadows’ love, adding both depth and heaviness to it?
#roksanatales
When your hair has turned to winter
and your teeth are in a plate,
when your getter up and go
has gone to stop and wait—
I’ll still be loving you.
When your attributes have shifted
beyond the bounds of grace,
I’ll count your many blessings,
not the wrinkles in your face—
I’ll still be loving you.
When the crackle in your voice
matches that within your knee
and the times are getting frequent
that you don’t remember me—
I’ll still be loving you.
Growing old is
something we all do
I hope you’ll always understand—
I’ll still be loving you.
Writer: C. David Hay
Artist: Bettina Baldassari
Roksana Tales 