Heidi Therrien
Advice on Overcoming Trauma
From the Violin on the Titanic Some learn to go down with the ship, to drown out screams with the screech of strings on a dry bow. Remember, you do not sound unless you are played and anyone can play you; dig in their teeth and leave you to wonder whether your body is as hollow as it’s treated. But to come out of pain is to come out of the case, your neck coverless. To sing the strings loud and drown the demon until its blue belly bobs for air. Let go of the boat. Forget the twisted fingers that drift away, as the bubbles float like dead stones from its mouth. A violin plays until the lights go out. Until the string of round bulbs blacken one by one as you snap the beast's long neck. It has pressed the last of your tuned senses, and you are a chorus that tears the mast from the deck. It’s okay to watch the smoke stacks kiss the waves. To overcome is to stand and watch the fear seep through the boards and the wireless antenna swing like a whip, to chase down what is left inside of the soul, let it flood the cargo room with salt until the turbines rust, let it shut down the power one floor at a time, until the calm has left you alone at sea, looking down on what you thought to be a bigger demon. You’ll watch as the shell disappears, like some slow stone forever thrown away. There are hands that will hold you soft as the note that you’ve kept inside. That will float you to the shore of your own forgiveness and into a song you’ve never learned to play. Let the fear sink from you. Let the sand find your feet. Let you stand on something, a whole instrument; your throat at full sail, and let you sing.
Heidi Therrien is a poet. She is also a rambler. At this moment she resides in Manchester, NH. She has featured at countless venues across the nation as well as facilitating workshops for writers of all ages. Heidi has opened for poets such as Rachel McKibbens, Jeanann Verlee, and Billy Tuggle. She placed in the top 10 at the 2011 Arkansas Grand Slam and was the Opening Ceremonies poet for the 2011 Individual World Poetry Slam in Cleveland, OH. She is the 2012 Grand Slam Champion of NH and her poetry can be found in multiple journals such as Centripetal, Blood on the Floor Vol. 1 & 2 and the anthology The 2010 Poet’s Guide to New Hampshire.
