Through shuttered windows
I can glimpse her beauty
She’s surrounded by a haze of light
The grace she expresses glows
We all wonder at her strength
To hold herself up
Alone
Every night
Just for us
Watching over us
Silently sleeping in her wake.
These late night conversations are brief
But I whisper to her
Secret sentences
She’s longed to hear
Since the beginning of time.
“You are appreciated, even in our slumber.
Thank you for letting us rest.”
And through the shutters
She smiles.
Bright-eyed young girl, Curious and crafty, Let’s start a project and learn to crochet. Tiring quickly, She abandoned the lesson. She couldn’t see past the first stitch- Obsessed with chains, with growing taller, The neverending line of connection So easily unfurled. Chains, chains, chains. Chains everywhere and every day. Quickly and carefully created by this crafty girl And unraveled even faster, The impermanence of childhood Displayed through her repetitive ritual. She lost interest as quickly As any other once-inspired child, And many years without crocheted chains passed Before a spark of inspiration woke her from her daze. Timid hands picked up threadbare yarn, dusted with age. Fingers moved as if possessed, Creating chains came so easily And her inner child was elated by the familiarity Of her once daily routine. The desire to unwind, to unfurl Pulled so strong within her, But the necessity To create, to give life, to build something that matters Overcame all else. She kept making chains. She made chains and then kept working. She kept building on the foundation To create something strong Something useful Something beautiful for herself. For herself, she kept creating.
Let’s reminisce
About the days
When we were old enough
To know better
But young enough
Not to care.
When we spent
Our hard earned money
On temporary satisfaction
Gone as soon
As they’d been obtained.
Liquid courage
To get us through
The days to come-
And the only things
We have to show
For our mistakes
Are the friendships
That made us stronger
And the lessons
We’ll never forget.
Our visit was brief
But necessary.
It was good to
Get back to my roots-
Seeing you
Brought back so many memories.
Hearing you call out to me
Made me feel like a toddler
Stumbling over their feet
When they’re learning to walk,
But trusting
That you’ll be there
To catch them
When they fall.
Thank you for reminding me
Of who I am-
The strength I was born with.
Our bittersweet goodbyes
Will not last forever.
I leave,
Walking away
With sand trailing behind me,
But turn back
For one last glance.
Just in time
To watch you wave.
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She swings and she sways
To the trill of the piano,
With a facade of blonde hair
And the red lips of a vixen
To hide the fear held in her eyes
Of the terminal illness
Dancing in her veins
From dusk ’til dawn.
A good foundation- two feet planted firmly on the ground
Adequate strength- to carry the weight of yourself and others (others are optional)
A mind of your own- a brain that will lead you away from the hive
Emotion- a determining factor of a healthy soul
It might not seem like much,
But when you add them all together,
You’ve built yourself
A modest home.
A girl
That dreamed of men
Strong enough to support her
Fell in love with a boy
That needed to be uplifted
To feel loved.
A boy
Who never wanted to grow up
Or stop having fun
Fell in love with a girl
Who grew up much too fast
And never looked back at her youth.
A girl and a boy
Met and fell in love
And, together,
They were everything
They ever needed.
A mother who cares a little longer
A father who has grown up stronger
A brother who’s learned right from wrong
A lover with whom I know I belong
All of these added to my life’s shelf
Plus me, so I can be myself.