The Book of Questions, by Pablo Neruda, contains poems made up entirely of questions. I’ve pulled out one of these for today’s writing prompt:
Do tears not yet spilled wait in small lakes?
Write a poem, essay, story, memory, freewrite, description…whatever this question evokes in you.
I’d love to see your creations in the comments if you feel like sharing!
Strangling My Muse 
One of my current meditations, which comes from Patanjali, speaks to this question: “The pain that has not yet come can be avoided.”
Which is to say that those lakes are not there waiting . . . or that if they are, they can be skirted. Having had a number of misfortunes befall me that were beyond my control, I don’t think I can entirely prevent pain, sorrow, loss, or trouble, but I do believe I may be able to head some of it off or at least prepare myself better for it.
We carry lakes of sorrow in us from past pain and hurts, and perhaps they contain tears yet to come. But tears seem more like rain to me — waters that gather and fall as circumstances dictate. Formed in response to given conditions. Born of storms, tears release and cleanse.
This is a lovely reflection, Anne, poetic and meaningful. Thanks so much for sharing it! I especially love the image you evoke of “lakes of sorrow” we carry inside us. Tears seem more like rain to me as well, something spontaneous rather than something that’s stored. (But I do respond to the poetry of Neruda’s question above.)
Thanks again for posting this here!
~Sandy