Blurred branches of feeling
the intersection of “Not good enough,”
and “You fell for that again?”
awkward limbs that cross
and cross again in confusion. While inches
of growth reach, stretch toward light.
The turbulent angles discretely covered
by feathered orange deliciousness.
A fancy distraction,
just like my sunglasses and hat
a layer of colors,
the perfect cover up to keep
my crack of failure private.
© Ali Grimshaw 2017
My poems, 32 Degrees and Bouncing Bullets, have been shared on The Drabble. This blog is dedicated to publishing original fiction, non-fiction, and poetic works of 100 words or less. If you enjoy creativity and concise writing this blog is for you. Thank you to The Drabble for creating and supporting a community of writers. Through poetry we can calm our minds, share the human experience and laugh together to keep our sanity.
Make it a beautiful day.
The first bowl of summer strawberries picked from my backyard.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
For months she pushed it away, terrified
of being consumed, eaten whole.
Adamant in her refusal to sit with it.
Now she contemplates the dark.
Always kept at arm’s length
.
This unfamiliar,
meeting it for the first time.
It is not as cold to touch as expected.
She turns to face them,
leans in to hear their voices
more surprised than terrified.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
Photo taken in Amsterdam 2014
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
“In spite of the flames of tragedy, a poem is a glowing ember, making visible the power of hope, and the human spirit. We must not only read and watch, we are called by the poet to bring the flame back to the ember, to do what we can to help people not only to survive, but to thrive.” – Why Poetry Matters from Huffington Post
Under the tree, sitting
knee to knee while
randomly, snow petals
drift down between us.
‘How can we begin again?
After all, I don’t trust.
I have forgotten how, or…
maybe I never knew.’
While branches above blossom yearly
growth regardless of weather.
‘I guess the question is,
how badly do I
want to blossom?’
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
“Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable. Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away.” — Carl Sandburg, from The Atlantic, March 1923.
What you will not forgive in others
a mirror for what you cannot forgive
in yourself.
Hold the mirror before your face
cracked, distorted by times
of perceived failure, harsh voices.
Look
and look some more,
until you see the darkness of yourself.
Then step through,
step through the reflection to the other,
the other side where
you are him
you are her
you are they
you are no different.
In the mirror two eyes plead
for grace.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
This poem is inspired by the amazingly loving Debbie. Her blog Forgiving Connects offers opportunities to reflect on forgiveness and learn from the experiences of others. Thank you Debbie. Forgiving Fridays on Forgiving Connects
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
In response to The Daily Post – Outlier
