Petals touch the earth, it’s such a dearth Of our collective humanity. The mundane meets The profane, in an elegant dance of universality.
Closed and subdued, waiting in the wings for Just the right moment to spring forth and collect Their special moment, looking at you, and seeing right through.
Some open a little at a time, you walk past, And notice, just every so slightly, their petals Begin to give way to the universal force bearing Their name, feeling inspiration, your claim.
Others open in a flurry, one day completely Closed, then the next, rising to meet the Golden sun, shining deep inside filtrating out All the things that hide.
The point?
They all grow from the same earth, and Have their own way to walk through this mirth. Casting a special glow through all that pass by, Waiting for that special moment to blossom forth.
They look into my eyes, And I wonder why, or why they even try.
They think their stare a dread, Yet it’s more often just a shred. A glimpse Into their being, having nothing whatsoever To do with my leaving.
I am not the names and forms You associate with me in your head.
Furthermore, it’s mine to lay claim To all that I am, when I’d like, so don’t be such a bore.
And?
I Am Woman, here me roar.
In response to the WDYS #72 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
This short poem had a four-fold inspiration; one, the image prompt from Keep it Alive; two, the movie I Am Woman, which I’m watching on Netflix; three, my courageously strong and beautiful sisters, mother, and ex-wife; and four, all of the myriad of women that have coached and mentored me throughout my life, of which, there have been many.
Strange as it can sometimes seem, Yes, just like a dream, everything is in motion In this life, just like it is supposed to be.
Everyone plays their part, from the very start, even when We second-guess, and are confused about The hidden art, which conjures such scenes Of mystery, confusion, and, yes sometimes Delusion.
Living inside of the unknown can be precarious, And even downright gregarious and, at times, Even quite nefarious.
Yet, living inside a dream isn’t always as It seems. There is a rhyme and reason in Every season, even when, maybe, especially When we are searching for a reason.
Looking up into the blueness, The vastness of space collected Together for our mutual endeavor, And our innermost pleasure.
It’s beholden to see, such a treasure Of sight, and delight. It often reminds Me of being a young boy, living freely, no limits In sight, breathing in all of life’s gifts one at a time.
And, today, even on gray days, I can see Through that pillowy cover to the blueness That is there, awaiting the next time, the next breath, Winds shifting with our beating hearts, To reveal the depth of the drifting blue expanse.
A grand palace, one that goes on, at times Without notice, sitting in the weather, not a care Near, nor a plethora of wear, tear, or despair.
As the sun rises, off in the distance, It casts a glow of such brilliance, making The grand even more persistent, while Simultaneously, reminding us all of our shared resilience.
Such displays need no homage or fanfare, Though, for sure, the latter is not rare, As people from around the world come to Share in the brilliance that is there.
In response to the WDYS #71 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
Darkness Worn like a cloak On a brocade Of silence
Memories are translucent, and
Fibers of my being Are hard, at times,
To piece together.
They fit in a splash Of overlap, one Scene runs Into the Next,
And, I’m often quite Transfixed,
By the pictures I see, So much so, I wonder If they Are
Even really me.
Lightness And, as the shadow Lifts, light begins To creep in,
Not all at once, no Slowly, one measure At a time.
The light must be Careful, not to Scare too Much
Fright Into the unsuspected.
Those who are not Used to its fullness, Stillness, and yes also Goodness.
Yet, it does invade, And pervade the senses, Bringing with it, a new dawn, With all of its new drawn-
Out histories, yet to be Lived, and then, yes, eventually, Told.
The question, so bold?
Why the darkness and The lightness? What’s the Story of this symbiotic Relationship,
Which manifests in So many different ways When at play, during the Day, and, yes, even when We are hiding in the shadows Of its fullest measure.
Our pleasure unrecognized, not Fully brought to its light.
Symbiosis In the end, dark and light Are a pair of opposites, Just like the rest of The world.
While we get carried Away in a whirl-winded Exploration of why;
Why not try to simply Accept the reality that is.
Lightness exists, As does darkness, and, Paradoxically,
And, oh so commonly,
You can be in the light, While in the dark, just As you can be in the dark, While in the light.
It works that way, all Throughout our days Until we are finally carried away.
Instead of a diary entry this week, I am choosing to share this three-part poem with you. I wrote this a few weeks ago just before traveling to the coast. At that time, it occurred to me to write a poem about three concepts, darkness, lightness, and symbiosis. Yet as I wrote the poem, they felt like three distinct parts of an overall unified whole, so I structured them and am sharing them just as they occurred to me. Fun.
Shadowlight Words 