Topography – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

Thinly sliced sections of her heart

carefully laid bare

an inner dissection

to find the magnificence of awe

that is her heartwisdom.


Following faded peak moments 

mindfully mapped on her skin. 

Elevations reached, views of reckoning

and contours fallen from while yearning

led to an evolution of her topography.


She continues to traverse past valleys

while climbing toward her next becoming 

still a proposed expedition.


© Alicia Grimshaw Rewrite from 2019

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50 thoughts on “Topography – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

  1. She continues to traverse past valleys

    while climbing toward her next becoming

    still a proposed expedition.

    Love the way you conclude this beautiful piece Ali, just wonderful! And the pic of that topographical art piece is so fascinating, thank you for sharing it.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Helen,
      Thank you for your kind response. I love it when I can marry a photo I have taken with my words and create something that inspires others.
      Make it a great day.
      Ali

      Like

  2. I love your multi-layered imagery here Ali, particularly ‘he magnificence of awe

    that is her heartwisdom.’ We are so much more than surface.

    Like

  3. I adored the concept and imagery of your poem Ali …
    Whoops .. your 10.00am ‘writing circle’ starts are too early for me, it’s 3.00am next day for me … sorry ..

    Liked by 2 people

  4. I LOVE this. The first stanza immersed me entirely:

    “Thinly sliced sections of her heart

    carefully laid bare

    an inner dissection

    to find the magnificence of awe

    that is her heartwisdom.”

    Overcoming hard times and trials to find the beauty from within, that’s such a powerful statement here (how I view the poem, at least). Beautifully penned, it also shows elements of vulnerability such as scars (moments mapped on skin) and how it delineates growth in becoming who we are now. Lovely work.

    Liked by 3 people

  5. I LOVE this idea of topography and how you’ve developed it here.
    “contours fallen from while yearning” oh yes…..sometimes our yearning for what we don’t or can’t have may be our demised and be cause for a shift in topography!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you for your feedback LIllian. I appreciate it. It was interesting to reread how I had written this poem in 2019. I enjoyed rewriting it today to shift it toward my current experience. The topography of me is always evolving while the core remains the same.
      Thanks for hosting OLN.
      Ali

      Like

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