#NaPoWriMo
Something you can count on – poem by Ali Grimshaw
The sky
it is never not there
will not leave a note goodbye
to disappear in the night.
Serenely blue, growl of gray
watercolored clouds a tumble
dependably ever-changing, yet
never forsaking.
When the curtain goes up at sunrise
a steadfast performance
worthy of an audience.
Don’t miss the show.
No tickets necessary.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2020
Let Go
“I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.” – Barbara Brown Taylor
When the lights went out, she welcomed the dark
warm on her skin like an old friend
as nourishment for her sadness
leaves rustled a serenade to slow her pulse
the refrigerator hummed along
a reminder of the ordinary evenings
breath slowed, the world kept turning and she let go.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2020
dVerse – Perfect Seven Lines
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, with 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
Poem in Your Pocket Day 2019 is on April 18 and is part of National Poetry Month. On this day, select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others at schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, street corners, and on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem.
“You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.” – John Adams.
The Listener
Can you be
with your own silence?
Walking with yourself
wherever you go
naked
or clothed in words
that warm
or weigh you down.
Will you mirror
a friendly listener
hear your own voice
gently?
© Ali Grimshaw 2019
Shadows in Kauai, Hawaii 2018
Today’s challenge is to write a poem that ends with a question. This poem was inspired by a fellow blogger, Pragalbha’s post. Thank you for the inspiration. I wrote this after reading her words today, “Being With Myself”
Beyond shore
She never failed
to float him beyond
the current of his day.
He never resisted
slipping away with her
curved sides just right
perfect in their holding space
arcs to part waves
when he needed release
she took him far from shore
her motor always finely tuned
of that he made sure never to neglect.
© Ali Grimshaw 2019 (Rewrite from 2017)
I’m so excited that it’s NaPoWriMo again. NaPoWriMo is an annual poetry challenge that takes place in April. The idea is to write a poem a day resulting in 30 poems in total. The NaPoWriMo site provides prompts if you want to use them. I have added to this challenge by reading poems every day of the month from several different sources. Click on the icon above to join in.
Remembering
I miss the days of your eyes,
a yearning treasure seeker,
when I was the X on your map.
© Ali Grimshaw
Portugal 2017
Safety Net
I will embrace you
in this house of circumstance
walls cracked and cratered
plaster fallen failures.
Shelter you with my being
through the unavoidable crumbling
a steel umbrella in the storm.
I gave grown capable of being
the shelter, like the arch of
protection you once were
for me. I am solid
even as the erosion continues
with you under my wings.
© Ali Grimshaw 2018
April 26: Poem in Your Pocket Day – celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with you and sharing it with others throughout the day and on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem. Share a poem that got you through a hard time or one that makes you laugh. Touch someone’s heart.
Morning Newsbreak
The 5:00 am thud,
my front porch newspaper.
When will this sound disappear
from my listening landscape?
Like the comfort
of sounds, predictable life
before the robots were made.
When hands held headlines
faithful objects, a lifeline
of interpretation on paper thinness
read in gentle openness
played at morning speed of drowsy slow
accompanied by the aroma of coffee.
The illusion of a day with
news within my control.
© Ali Grimshaw 2018
“It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men [and women] die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.”—William Carlos Williams
13 Ways to Support Poetry – guest blog post by Dick Allen – A great article with specific ways to keep poetry alive in the world.
dVerse OpenLinkNight #218 – If you are looking for a community of poets you can find one here.
National Poetry Month – Fall in love with a poet.
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.