Unfolding Love – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

By knowing you,
I see myself in bloom 
now and 90 years wrinkled.
My doubts don’t exist in your eyes.
You see the chipped edges
scars of failed attempts
places worn raw 
as my earned beauty.
You hold the rough
abeyant curves of my puzzle
like a treasure. 
You saw my essence of spirit
gently holding it all up,
a mirror before me,
until I could see,
for myself,
who I am becoming.
 
© Ali Grimshaw 2020

Eugi's Weekly Prompt - Romance
 

Appearances – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

I was that edge, frame frayed
threads separated whillynilly 
curving off in various directions 
nibbed and frazzle fuzzed
leading to unraveled times

with scissors, I cut loose ends
to regain control or
at least create an appearance 
of smooth evenness
but it was not an honest look

just a pretending of edged calm

© Ali Grimshaw 2021

Join us for dVerse Open Link Night HERE

Heartbeat – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

"Choosing to live and love with our whole hearts is an act of defiance. " - Brene Brown

Join me for Galentine's Day, Write Yourself: Self-Love and Poetry Gathering
Saturday, February 13. here - Eventbrite. (Tickets by donation)

One of the many joys of facilitating writing circles is contributing to the journey of others and connecting women from across the globe. 

Renewal Through Poetry: Introductory Writing Circles
February 21, 11:00 am PST register here - Eventbrite. 

"The circle is a very special part of my week. I am inspired by everyone, their thoughts, their writings, their words. I never come away without feeling something deeply or being profoundly touched.  I am amazed at what comes out of the end of my pen." - Nancy




And the questions keep coming – poem by Ali Grimshaw

They come as colors with overlapping sides or frayed edges
and in the transition of time often mix into each other.

They come with thick bold boundaries, holding the fierce 
hues that refuse to be diminished or mellowed by new arrivals.

They come as evaporated mist close enough to dampen 
my skin, yet just out of reach to clearly articulate in sounds.

They come regardless of time of night, often dancing to distract
while I am in the middle of a conversation intent on listening.

They come generously not asking or demanding, but in hope
that I will allow them to teach me how feeling them could be

different than finding their answers.

© Ali Grimshaw 2021
Photo taken in Porto, Portugal 2017

Come explore opening lines on dVerse today MTB: Opening lines…beginnings

Cee's Stacked or Piled up Challenge

Poems from the Circle

Louise Gallagher – Dareboldly.com

My dream is to create a safe space for you to explore the words that live inside you. Holding this listening space is one of the times I feel most alive. Our lives are enriched by reflectively listening to ourselves and others. It takes courage to reveal yourself and it is worth it.

Louise Gallagher is yet another amazing human that I wouldn’t have met without her taking a chance to share in the circle. Thank you, Louise, for your permission to share your artful poem here. It has been a gift to hear your words arrive and observe them unfurling over the past several weeks. Louise is a creativity activist, visual story-teller, mixed-media artist, writer, mentor, coach. You can find more of her poetry and beautiful creations at dareboldly.com

Writing together provides a mirror for us to process life in a safe place. Click here for information about my next Sunday writing circle.

Bashful – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

a slight alteration
not a full smile
where teeth reveal themselves

just a curled corner of lips lift
your cheek rising upward
winking your eye

those unfamiliar to your face
wouldn't notice the half-smirk
so quickly retreating behind
the coffee mug

 but I saw it as real as sunrise
 and I don't need more
 to know you felt
 joy today

© Ali Grimshaw 2021

dVerse Open Link Night - Come join the fun.

Check the correct box – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

How we name ourselves keeps us 
separate, collected or behind fences.

What if we lost all labels to the wind?
Started over with a single hello. 

Here is a new and rare being
a species my brain cannot categorize

outside of any box, never encountered 
right before my own human eyes.

How wonder would fill me
with the awe of you.

© Ali Grimshaw 2021

dVerse - Poetics:Connections 
A wonderful community of writers reside on dVerse Poets Pub. Come join in the fun.

Photo of mural taken in Auray, France. 2019

Consider – A Poem for MLK Day – By Ali Grimshaw

Some say, Who am I?
I need to find myself.
I have lost myself.

Some ask, How do I go on?
How do I begin again?
What matters now? 

There are those who 
are living as question marks
and those who refuse punctuation.                 

When your heart burns away,
is cracked to irreparable
or crushed to stillness

is that the end or 
the beginning 
of learning to love?

© Ali Grimshaw 2021

Three quotes from a man who left this world too early, Martin Luther King J. May we remember his words.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”

“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.”

This is not a pair of shoes

This dancing couple has grace
swinging and swirling across the floor
while never leaving each other's side.

One with a worn toe from accenting turns
The other steady centered,
to spin in balanced pleasure.

I long to slip into their magical trance 
it has been a long while
since they have been out on a date.

As I pull them from the closet
I smile with the miles of songs
we traveled together.

Both have matched many steps 
to anxious cold handed partners 
tentative hesitance of beginners
ease of familiar firm arms.

This pair is a portal to playfulness
open to all ages, they remain 
timeless in their relationship.

A long lasting love story between them
to be lived again and again
until their soles have worn away.

© Ali Grimshaw 2021

Come join the fun on dVerse with Poetics: Object Poems

Dedicated to all my social dancing friends and anyone who is missing the joy of dancing together.