Welcome. I’m Catherine – Cathy.
Or more precisely, welcome to Reflections of an Unquiet Mind; a fitting name, as longtime readers can surely attest.
1. I’m 42.
2. I live in Luxembourg.
3. I speak Luxembourgish, German, French, and English.
4. I almost only write in English. It gives me the clarity I can’t always find in my other languages.
5. I’ve been with the same man for 25 years. Our 18th wedding anniversary is this month.
6. We have three children. They are 20, 16, and 15.
7. I work in early childhood education. It’s not just a job. It’s part of who I am.
8. Without a person who entered my life in 2015, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I am forever grateful to him.
9. I mostly wear black.
10. My favourite colour is purple.
11. Music is always playing in my home. If it’s quiet, something is off.
12. Music is also the undercurrent of much of what I write. It sets the tone for the scenes that are unfolding in my mind.
13. Shoulder surgery in 2021 pulled the rug from under my feet. Years later, I’m still in pain and never regained full mobility of my right arm. I learned to live with it and don’t complain as much as I used to.
14. I suffer from recurring depression. I’ve learned not to trust peaceful phases too quickly, but I embrace them nonetheless.
15. I’ve seen hundreds of films and watch a lot of television. My head is filled with trivia no one wants or needs to hear.
16. I almost never read poetry. Most of it feels too complicated or makes me feel dumb. I am a simple woman. I am intelligent and opinionated, but I never got into reading poetry and it makes me feel like an imposter. My inspiration is music and lyrics.
17. I love my eyes. Weird thing to add to the list, but they are expressive, I cannot hide my emotions.
18. I’ve been called mysterious more often than I can count. I’ve never really understood why. Why?
19. I’ve been told I have a certain presence, when I am in a room. It’s similar to the being mysterious thing: I have no clue what people mean by that.
20. I often seem reserved. It’s not coldness. It’s shyness and unease in unpredictable social interactions.
21. I like taking photos. Often of dark and a bit melancholy. Just as often of the sky and the clouds. Or if abstract things I notice and like.
22. I love standing or dancing in the rain, especially when the storm kisses my skin.
23. micqu has been my online handle for at least 20 years. I don’t remember how I came to it. I just liked it.
24. It’s pronounced Mick-you, not Mike-uh.
25. micqu is always in lowercase. Just liked most of my poems.
26. I created this blog in 2012. At first, it was an outlet. Now, it’s part of me.
27. I write poems, monologues, fragments, stories, emotional reflections and more.
28. I also write music reviews. They’re never technical. Always emotional. Musicians never approach me to write them. But I share them with the artists out of respect.
29. I often write without editing, spilling or bleeding words onto the screen or into a notebook. That’s why much of what you find here feels raw and unpolished – because it is.
30. I write with a fountain pen. Important things are written with a silver Parker a former friend once gave me. I cherish that pen.
31. I have notebooks scattered throughout the house. Loose paper too. I’ve written on napkins and tissues when nothing else was nearby.
32. Most of what I write stays unseen. What ends up here is just a glimpse. And by the sheer amount of posts here you can probably imagine how much I really write.
33. I rarely edit poems. I like them close to how they arrived. Once they are posted or written in my notebook I never go back to them.
34. I don’t capitalise most of my writing. I prefer the softness of small letters.
35. I use little punctuation. I want the words to breathe naturally. Which is poetic for: my grammar isn’t very good and I have no clue about what I am doing.
36. I don’t write on a schedule. I post when something insists on being shared. Though sometimes I try to share daily. And I announced the return of Friday 5.
37. My writing is personal, but not always literal. Not everything is about me or about things I’ve felt.
38. I don’t like to explain what I write. If you feel it, then the words and the interpretation become yours.
39. I’ve published several books. You can find them all on Amazon. Nonetheless, I’m hesitant to call myself a poet.
40. I’ve written lyrics for collaborative pieces, but I don’t compose music. They can be found on SoundCloud.
41. Some poems are soft and sensual. Some are sharp and aggressive. Both are true to me.
42. Behind every line I write hides a word, a picture, a melody, an existing line… There is nothing new under the sun.
43. My writing doesn’t always aim to be beautiful, sometimes it tells an ugly truth.
44. I believe that there is beauty in everything.
45. I am not good at pretending, it’s easier to say what I mean and mean what I say.
46. I am an open book, but apparently I am not easy to read.
47. I don’t like being invisible, but I also hate not being seen. It’s a contradiction, and this blog is full of them.
48. You’ll find recurring themes: longing, silence, resilience, small joys, aching truths. You’ll also find recurring metaphors: storms, clouds, rain, rivers, light, darkness, feathers…
49. I write more when I ache than when I’m fine. But I think that’s true for most writers.
50. This blog isn’t curated. It’s lived. Chaotic and messy at times.
51. If I post a song, it means something. Memories and meaning.
52. There’s no right place to begin reading and exploring here. Pick a post. Let it pull you in.
53. Not everything here is heavy. Sometimes you’ll find wit, softness, or dry humour.
54. Some readers stay quiet for years. I notice you anyway. I don’t write for likes but I won’t lie, I like them and they make me smile.
55. You’re welcome here, whether you read silently or leave a trace. You deserve a hug.
56. If you’ve come this far, thank you.
57. This space is mine. But I’m glad you found it. Enjoy these reflections of an unquiet mind. I am always there for you.
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–> more about my books: books
–> my books are on Amazon worldwide, here is the UK link: Amazon UK this should give you an idea what to look for on other sites.
–> I have several faulty copies left at home, if you are interested, get in touch in the comments and we will figure something out. I used to have a shop on the blog, but it wasn’t used and I took it offline.
reflections of an unquiet mind 