Could this be the final day
of an autumn that I thought would last?
A mellowing of red between us
once crackling emotions now dust bits
collected in a whirling dervish
carried away in the wind.
Now I am an empty street waiting
for the street light to click on.
Predictable and ever awed
by the chance
to begin again.
© Ali Grimshaw
Coveting the minds of others,
organized, tidy, following clear roads.
Traveling to a chosen destination
efficiently arriving on time.
Dreary, weary, defeat haunts her
relapsing into the darkness of a mind off course.
Moving toward an endless horizon
without a line between earth and sky
to distinguish
what hole she fell into
this time.
© Ali Grimshaw
You have landed
in your own pond
sending out rings
your circles overlapping those of
other rocks who have taken the plunge.
I cannot see the ripples
you will make in others’ lives.
Yet, I know they exist. As I have
felt your wholeness in our embrace.
I see you time and again, resurfacing.
The shine in your eyes,
never to be the same
only brighter.
© Ali Grimshaw
I have many fears. They have pushed me to the edge and stretched me beyond where I thought I would break. But I am still here and have developed a fascination with what I can learn from them. Fear can be like a monster inside of you, holding you hostage. Sharing your fear with another can take the power away from this monster. I have found that when I bring my monster into the light it is often hairy but not so scary. This is a place for you to break free from that monster by describing your fear and leaving it behind on this page. You will never find out what this is like if you don’t take action. Start with one of your smaller monsters and leave it here.
This is also an experiment in learning from each other. What do we fear? Will our fears be similar or very different? I am interested to see what we all have in common. Get curious about your fear and leave it behind. A couple of sentences or a picture will do.
Please don’t comment on another’s monster. This might force them to jump from the page.
I will start the sharing with one of my fear monsters. The fear of suffocating. This monster can take my confidence away when I am occupying a small, enclosed space. Sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe. I panic. I have learned to talk myself through this and it is slowly getting easier over time.
What a perfect time of year to give your monster a place to hang out with others. It can make friends and may end up so happy that it doesn’t come back to you and even if it does, it might not look the same to you as it did before.
Thanks for sharing. Let the Monster Bash begin.
Ali
Today I am feeling grateful to Poetry Breakfast for sharing two of my poems this month. The first, Procrastinator’s List, was posted today. Thank you for sharing my light. Everyone has a light that matters. Some us us lose our batteries along the way and need help getting new ones, others need to get their batteries recharged. Writing is a powerful way to recharge. If you are interested in exploring the gift of shared writing please leave me a message.
May your light shine.
Ali
Head down, back bent,
climbing back into yourself
fear perspiring on your forehead.
Looks like you could use a lift.
Travel forward with me
I will steer for awhile.
You can coast.
I will pedal out the questions.
You can consider answers.
Life can be different
on a bicycle built for two.
© Ali Grimshaw
Despair for the moment to come
willing my body to enter the room
a mountain of mortification on my back
facing those faces
being seen while craving camouflage.
Owning the me that showed up today
failure and intention,
with a disappointing lack of action.
While seeking an empty seat I am
investigating the ability to shed my skin,
to start fresh. Becoming
a blank slate that holds
not a bit of old chalk dust.
© Ali Grimshaw
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 