what you had always assumed
to be solid, now soggy sadness
water warped windows with
a view misguided, bended
memories altered the truth
will you forgive yourself
for all that was unseen before?
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
blog
Let me
I will sing you comfort when your voice forgets the notes.
I will sing you a clearing to feel the warmth on your back.
I will sing you courage for days when you need to hear the music again.
I will sit in silence listening to your song
when you have forgotten it exists.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Her Why
It went around her neck, a symbol smooth of warmth
concise clarity, just enough weight to feel the ground
hold onto when her confidence didn’t show up for work.
It replaced her doubts packaged with strings of anxiety
long ago shipped on away. Her essential purpose
written to last, needed all of the available room.
The chain lay lightly on her chest, polished by her daily reaching.
She was never without it, the promise made for small faces
their eyes questions from a future she would never see.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Nietzsche
Seasonal Departure
At the station, the train of life only pauses
our illusion of control blankets nature’s causes.
Nights to days shift, and the engineer steers
rhythm of the planet moves through the years.
Cycle of no endings, wheels freely spin
untouchable by human error, solstice arrives again.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Couplets for the Solstice – dVerse poetry challenge
Remove one brick.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
Resilience
To open, fold back each layer
expose your inner colors
is nothing small.
I see courage in your willingness
to fully bloom. Expose the tender.
A relentless showing under a threatening sky.
After the loss of petals, burnt leaves.
You still choose the sun over fear
knowing the rains never stop
and summer doesn’t last.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Sunday afternoon meditation in the backyard
Ok, breathe
ease back in the chair.
Breathe. Ahh. Blue sky in my backyard.
Oh no. Not leaf blower man.
I thought he moved.
Breathe. Let it all go. You are free.
See? It stopped. Listen to the birds.
Close your eyes.
Breathe.
What? Not again? This is noise pollution!
Slow. Feel your body in this space.
Who invented this *&%$# thing?
What ever happened to my silent friend, The Rake?
Breathe. Let it go.
This too shall pass.
Remember the teacher said find calm within chaos,
Breathe. I bet he didn’t have leaf blower man
nextdoor.
Inhale.
Exhale.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
For the Thursday d’Verse challenge. My first contrapuntal poem. Contrapuntal are poems that intertwine two (or more) separate poems into a single composition.
Courage rides the train
They stepped onto the train that day
unaware of the choice the ride included.
When the voice of hate screamed
the two stood as stone, unwilling to look away.
Unified strangers woven into a safety net
flung over the young ones
a protective cover given without request
those two hearts knew what freedom
to live without fear was worth.
The cost of standing up, as the train moved into tomorrow
was life itself.
In this morning’s memory mirror
I wonder if I would be brave enough
to ride as they did.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Dedicated to the men who died a year ago in Portland, Oregon as they stood to defend two young women. My heart breaks for the loved ones of Ricky Best, father of four and US Army veteran, and Taliesan Namkai-Meche a recent college graduate. In honor of these two and the countless others who have stood up against hate please join me in acts of kindness wherever you live. Love is the only answer.
For more information read this Washington Post article, ‘Final act of bravery’: Men who were fatally stabbed trying to stop anti-Muslim rants identified
My Guide
A love note to my mother. The one who lead me to the forest.
© Ali Grimshaw
Tug of War
According to her internal judge
she was never up to par,
even when crossing the finish line first
accomplishment slid off her skin. Always
gripping, holding on for acceptance.
Yet perplexed separation pained her days.
She wanted belonging
and never wanted to fit in
knew it would change her.
A part broken off to float away irretrievable.
No one else stayed after class to console the bullied teacher.
It never occurred to her not to.
She saw those faces on the fringe,
secretly knowing she was an outlier as well.
She let go of the kinship rope
not to lose herself.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 