poem

Before We Grew – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 32 Comments 
"Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is about." - John Mayer


blue bicycle with banana seat
pedaling freedom
handlebar tassels in the wind

berry-stained fingerprints
juice of summer gods
anointed by sunshine days

of tree limb lounging
bushwacking our trails
until the dinner-bell

dirt-clod fights 
"you're on our team"
where the good guys 
always win

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

Photo of Wakeena Falls, Oregon. It is one of my favorite places to hike to in the summer.

Visit a friendly poetry community at dVerse Poets’ Pub for Quadrille Monday. Join the fun HERE.

Observing – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 21 Comments 

And the rhythm continues, yellow round, orange round, red
tiny parts of bright aliveness making up the whole.
Are the boundaries holding us together or separating us by hue? 

Each is playing a part in the view. 
One beside the other, 
next two, in front of, beside. Are we leaning unequally
or holding each other up? 

How far would we need to back up 
before seeing the whole picture? Remember up close
never looks the same as from across the room. 

Squint your eyes a little. Now look again.

Notice how the colors grow toward midnight as it meets in the center. 
Could this be a reminder to see darkness as a place to rest 
maybe even a place of beauty 
instead of fighting our way to where we think we belong?

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

You are invited to dVerse Poets’ Pub to write something beautiful in response to this artwork by Alma Thomas, The Eclipse (1970). Join in the fun HERE. Thank you, Melissa, for getting me writing today. It felt like releasing a big sigh and the air returned to fill my lungs without effort.

Pause in the Produce – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 30 Comments 

Somewhere near the produce 
between the oranges and tumbling peppers 
a song, Ed Sheeran is singing
and the tears arrive, as I listen. 
(I don't usually cry in public but the emotion is undeniable.)
I am still as a river rock, while the shoppers flow around,
struck by hearing the words I couldn't hear before.
I let their message in 
feeling what you were trying to say. 
What I was unable to receive before.
I don't care that I am crying next to the bananas. 

It feels so good to be loved by you.
© Ali Grimshaw 2024

No Recording Exists – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 44 Comments 


a fantasy figment fell 
from the clouds

bounced off my head
into my heart

singing, I followed the
feeling of companionship

neighbors heard my song
dropped their projects
flung their phones
joined jubilance

parading down the street
we were something together

one gleeful song

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

Join a welcoming community of poets at dVerse Poets' Pub, HERE. Tonight's challenge - write a quadrille using the word figment.

Photo taken in Portland, Oregon. I am a fan of murals and always look for them when I travel.

Some of the Time – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 19 Comments 
Sometimes
the light turns red before we have left the intersection
leaving our tail end vulnerable

sometimes
our brakes don’t work, spinning on black ice with
blurred windows of reaction

sometimes
we must go slowly, inching through the fog in faith
blinded by dense thoughts

sometimes
breakdowns leave us on the rainy roadside
unpacking resourcefulness

sometimes
forgiveness shows up like an invitation
an off-ramp never seen before

sometimes
we just need to stay on the road
grip and steer

This was written in 2019 and still resonates with me today. This driving metaphor definitely places me in a car-centered culture. Each of us is navigating our way through the day. Be kind and assume the best intentions of others.

Join a welcoming group of poets for Open Link Night -dVerse Poets’ Pub HERE.

I took this photo in Lisbon, Spain. Such a fun curve in the street.

Posted on The Drabble in 2022. You can find some great short poems on this site.

She led me to… Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 40 Comments 

She led me to
the library, fed stories to my ears
taught me how to keep the family blood circulating
to pull my shoulders back, stand proud

she showed me laughter around the table
camping in cold rain, beauty beyond lipstick
the effective use of stubborn determination

she made a million meals without consideration
flowered apron ready dinners with a smile
Did she even enjoy cooking? 
I don't remember anyone asking her.

She washed clothes, replacing them in drawers
a revolving door of dirty to clean
just another behind the scenes devotion.

How much did we notice the way
she kept the boat afloat
watching for leaks while we slept.

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

This poem is in honor of my mother, grandmothers, and all the mothers in my family tree who made me who I am today. Thank you.

Happy Mother's Day

Join a welcoming community of poets
at dVerse Poets' Pub, HERE
for Open Link Night. Share one poem
of your choosing and read what other's
share.



Shall We Take A Vote? – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 32 Comments 


a dazzle of zebras
a tower of giraffes
and the alligators gathering
        a congregation

how did these words arrive
and who says we can't 
extend the collectives

I'm voting for a blaze of 
cherry tomatoes

still sunwarm at dusk
a party in every bite

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

I first learned about a dazzle of zebras on a trip to Kenya in 2023. What a great word. This poem led me down a rabbit hole to learn more about the history of collective nouns. Here is a fun article if you are curious, A Shrewdness of Apes? Collective Nouns Are a 500-Year-Old Language Fad

Join a welcoming community of poets
at dVerse Poets' Pub, HERE. Tonight's challenge - write a quadrille using the word blaze.

LOVE in Capital Letters – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 16 Comments

“Human awe is an endangered species. Do not let your astonishment go extinct. Go wild for the wildness of your being.” – Andrea Gibson


how many days can you claim
bold aliveness

kindergarten eagerness
ignited intentions

bright contagiousness of
shared lifting

sky-filled unerasable strokes 
readable by all

baring yourself beautiful

with each word from your mouth
skinny-dipping freedom

because words of love
deserve all capitals
sing unification

undeniable

© Ali Grimshaw 2023

Photo taken in Portland, Oregon on my hike of "appreciating the flowering trees" this past weekend. They remind me to love big. I hope they inspire you to reach out to someone you have been missing.

My light is shining – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 14 Comments

A big thank you to editor Barbara Leonhard for publishing my poem, Words For Sale. This poem considers the value of poetry and the possibilities that a poem can offer. I invite you to visit MasticadoresUsa to read the poem, enjoy the poetry of others, and share your thoughts.

Thank you to all the readers that help keep poetry alive.