22 Comments
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Mahdi Meshkatee's avatar

I love the detail of sitting in a Lion King themed bedroom. It emphasizes the strength of childhood innocence against evil.

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sonja ringo's avatar

i appreciate you taking the time to read this & notice that about it <3 thank you, Mahdi!

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Pleasant Nneoma Stephen's avatar

The title alone plastered a smile on my lips. I resonate with this piece so much because I did think that way when I was a kid. 😅

I'm not sure I think that way anymore, but your writing makes me want to believe in the power of words once again.

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sonja ringo's avatar

so happy to have found others who thought this way when they were young.. it’s such a random thing but also maybe more universal than we think? especially for the sensitive souls..

believing in the power of words is a good thing <333

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Sarina Zoe's avatar

Oh gosh this was me as a kid too, and then as I got older and more aware of the darkness of the world I imagined wielding words that disarmed a rapist before he would touch me.

I wonder if boys / men spend time thinking these things as much as girls / women, but I doubt it

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sonja ringo's avatar

we are so similar my friend <3 it was definitely for me, a way of convincing myself that i was safe in this world, the alternative was too terrifying. i think men get to walk free from these types of thoughts for the most part, not always but.. they get the gift of less daily fear than women

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Sarina Zoe's avatar

It’s true they mostly do. And are unaware of the layers we carry which they’ll never have to.

I do love that you pulled this otherwise quiet and crazy inner reality forward into a poem

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sonja ringo's avatar

thanks so much for reading the poem & reflecting on this with me, there is some sort of power in looking this stuff dead in the eyes and at least naming it

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Sarina Zoe's avatar

Definitely is

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Mike Speriosu's avatar

Wow. If anyone could, it might be you.

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sonja ringo's avatar

that’s so kind of you to say <3 i think these thoughts helped me feel safe as a kid because knowing about those men was so disturbing it’s like.. how i adapted.. maybe..

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Liv's avatar

This is so beautiful and really shows the sweet innocence and hope that a child often has <3

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sonja ringo's avatar

that hopefulness can be so powerful! 🥹

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ira's avatar

I love everything you write

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sonja ringo's avatar

this made me cry ahhh thank you 😭😭

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HANNAH's avatar

Sonja so beautiful! I find your outlook on life extremely endearing - please don’t ever change 🤍🤍🤍

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sonja ringo's avatar

that’s so kind of you to say 🥹🥹 thank you so much! i appreciate that dearly <3

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ro lamb's avatar

Dope work! Random question: how do you write in all lowercase on Substack? Lol im curious because i found a way to do it but im thinking there has to be a much more efficient way to accomplish this. Lol i appreciate you! 🫶🏽

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sonja ringo's avatar

i just use substack on my laptop and don’t capitalize the letters - autocorrect doesn’t mess with it! maybe if writing on a phone it does?

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wildflower's avatar

„i could fight darkness with such radiant light / the darkness would have no choice / but to be absorbed.“ sometimes I still believe that. 🤍 Beautiful.

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sonja ringo's avatar

sometimes i still believe it too 🥹 sometimes i feel i have to

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wildflower's avatar

I fully understand that. Same here. 🤍

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