Slanderous words,
sharp and sticky abound.
Potentially murderous voices shoot out
yet ricochet off the innocent assemblage
surrounded by love, like bubble wrap.
A deadly collection of letters,
bouncing back to their owners.
While the souls remain
cloaked in truth,
“Those words aren’t us.”
No need for bulletproof vests to repel them.
Let them decay on the street
the street cleaner will dispose of them
before morning light.
© Ali Grimshaw
To the many grieving today for US Veterans who are not longer with us, those struggling to still get through each day and for the families of all veterans. Thank you for your sacrifice.
She knew what must be done
while fear sliced through her
cutting deeply
unwavering was her stance.
she had learned
pain was only temporary
what mattered was
her soul
was in one piece.
© Ali Grimshaw
Spills splattered the walls.
Counters filled with clutter,
multiple piles creating a new geography in the room.
There is a relief to cleaning it all away.
Everything in order. Repair and replace.
The seduction of a new cycle, sparkling clean.
Free from marks of history.
What if we could sit with Chaos
for just a little minute?
Feel the wind in our ears.
Hearing her secrets of cleverness.
Soaking in the learning of this undone space.
Before an opportunity is erased.
A past disinfected before she can author her story
from which the plot differs from
perpetual duplicating.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2016
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
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 