© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge
inspiration
My Guide
A love note to my mother. The one who lead me to the forest.
© Ali Grimshaw
Always Available 24/7
Never preoccupied by screens screaming
unknown friends, nor business buzzing heads.
Mine sit in wait, pocket ready, stacked bedside,
cursive faded on the bathroom mirror. Ever-ready
to ask courageous questions, reassuring palms
warmly press down on my shoulders. They lead
remind from behind, cocoon me from nightmare bombs
and disappearing green, when my inside raisins.
Trustworthy friends of ink, folded and unfolded
because the need is so great.
© Ali Grimshaw 2018
This poem was inspired by the following quote from John Adams. “You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.”
Ars Poetica – d’Verse
National Poetry Month – Fall in love with a poet.
Photo by Pixabay free images.
Second Chances
what must we pay for
our history, a fresh start
seaward in one boat.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Na/GloPoWriMo – April is National/Global Poetry Writers Month
Haiku Horizons
Wisdom of a sunflower
Her face follows the sun
an anchor of light, trusted to lead while she grew
a warmth of reassurance when her sight was lost
from darkness. A seed born with the knowing
yet unable to realize until the day of blossoming.
She held it all along. Resolve of love, strength to push
through the compacted soil of failure, to stretch
when trampled, to believe in the next dawn
while she remained in the shadow of night.
© Ali Grimshaw 2018 – photo taken on a roadtrip in Spain
“Like sunflowers that stop tracking the sun as they mature, we too begin to respond differently to life as we age. We learn to brave more parts of the day with our heads turned away from the sun, because we realize that we can only know who we are if we let the sun shine behind us and allow it to draw our shadow in front of us, so that we may see how we are really shaped.
We begin to realize how even darkness has its gifts, and how even if we don’t always bask in the light, we can survive.” – When Sunflowers Stop Following The Sun
I was inspired to write this poem after reading this thoughtful article. Never underestimate the power of sharing with careful words.
Between the lines
line straight as the horizon, faintly blue as sky meets sea
each edge, finger-width apart, to contain the message
my words lay cushioned by these guiding layers
some smeared by effort of my own hand
it was not by accident that I wrote to you
between the lines and not on them.
our relationship never occupied spaces
defined by rules of in or out.
© Ali Grimshaw (revised version of 2016 poem)
Rise/Set – Morning in Maui with my sweetheart observing the sea.
Unfurl
trusting sunlight, reach
disentangle tight petals
unfurl, face forward
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
Dwelling Place
Inside the conversation of contribution
my favorite place to dwell
walls like soft bubble gum that can expand
with the breath of new ideas
to watch you poke, prod, punch
a fist through the wall
on your face the surprised realization
of the awe-filled fluidity, stretched elastic
boundaries you once believed to be walls of stone.
How a soft blow, like cooling off your tea too hot
can open up a whole new room. High rounded ceilings
with space to grow into.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2018
My favorite place to be is inside a coaching conversation listening for another’s dreams. This was a tough idea to capture in a photo. Photo Challenge: Favorite Place
24 hours later
Years ago I chose the RULE
24 Hours minimum, before
doing, speaking, before action
24 Hours to steep in the experience
all emotional flavors infused, allowed to cool
to sip consideration of your viewpoint
before I express my own.
My reflection on the gift of time to change our perspective. I also have a poem related to this theme up on Via Brevis today. via EDITOR’S CHOICE: Weather Forecast
Running Partner
Rain on our lips
down the path we run.
Through puddles
not around.
Mud and moss
wind whipped hair
years of words
between breaths of air.
Over roots, between trees
creek waters roll by, unraveling
questions quenched by the miles.
Thoughts uttered within the flow
of movement, vulnerability
not possible in stillness.
Ali Grimshaw – revision of a poem first shared in 2016
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 