your tomorrows

~ Ali Grimshaw

img_1274

as you climb into the driver’s seat of 2020

what will you unhitch, leave behind
no longer pull the weight of?

will you remove your hat, let your hair freely flow
release control for what stays

or goes out the windows

to fly outside and down the road like confetti
jumbled stories of your past caught in roadside trees

will you make a u turn at the fork in the road
or pull over to share your empty passenger seat?

© Ali Grimshaw 2020

dVerse Open Link Night

I found this poem, A House Called Tomorrow, to be an inspiration for the new year. May it inspire you to stand up for what you believe and take action to give what only you can give.

A House Called Tomorrow

You are not fifteen, or twelve, or seventeen—
You are a hundred wild centuries

And fifteen, bringing with you
In every breath and in every step

Everyone who has come before you,
All the yous that you have been,

The mothers of your mother,
The fathers of your father.

If someone in your family tree was trouble,
A hundred were not:

The bad do not win—not finally,
No matter how loud they are.

We simply would not be here
If that were so.

You are made, fundamentally, from the good.
With this knowledge, you never march alone.

You are the breaking news of the century.
You are the good who has come forward

Through it all, even if so many days
Feel otherwise.  But think:

When you as a child learned to speak,
It’s not that you didn’t know words—

It’s that, from the centuries, you knew so many,
And it’s hard to choose the words that will be your own.

From those centuries we human beings bring with us
The simple solutions and songs,

The river bridges and star charts and song harmonies
All in service to a simple idea:

That we can make a house called tomorrow.
What we bring, finally, into the new day, every day,

Is ourselves.  And that’s all we need
To start.  That’s everything we require to keep going.

Look back only for as long as you must,
Then go forward into the history you will make.

Be good, then better.  Write books.  Cure disease.
Make us proud.  Make yourself proud.

And those who came before you?  When you hear thunder,
Hear it as their applause.

 By Alberto Ríos

For more information about Alberto Ríos click here Poets.org

 

43 thoughts on “your tomorrows”

  6. I’m feeling a bit out of control at the moment, so I’ll most likely be flying down the road like confetti with jumbled stories trailing behind! Preparing to move is a bit bewildering!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It is interesting how many readers have connected with that same image from this poem.
      Moving is a huge project. Take one step at a time and ask for lots of help. If you get discouraged come back and I will cheer you on.

      Like

      Reply

  12. Splendid combination of “tomorrow” perspectives … tomorrow always only a half-second away …
    I love the imagery of my old stories blowing like confetti, catching in trees, finding their way w/o any “management” from me. The challenge is to move forward w/o trying to manage either route or destination.
    Here’s to a 2020 full of twists, turns, surprises, and stories to savor (till they take wing)!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Jazz,
      I am fascinated with growth and the process of moving forward. Thank you for sharing the words that resonated most with you. I really appreciate that.
      May poetry continue to inspire new thinking that creates peace in our world.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.