Trust

March 1, 2018March 2, 2018 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 16 Comments

After what seems like

forever darkness

light comes back again

each bud tilts toward warmth

layers fall open with ease

not because they were told, “It is time.”

facing the sun… their hearts knew.

© Alicia Grimshaw 2018

Trust yourself. Your heart knows the way forward.

– Forgiving Fridays on Forgiving Connects

Dream of Love

February 14, 2018 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 11 Comments

Awake in the darkness

with a different kind of knowing.

One of souls connected in an absence of time.

Understanding not limited by words.

A sigh that offers comfort,

only possible from the deep inhale proceeding it.

Melding without becoming one.

A miracle of wholeness from separate beings.

Valentine’s Day 2016

Unwind

January 22, 2018 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 16 Comments

Thinking in reverse

months tip, like dominos

to revisit that summer day.

Longing for this cleansing pool,

offering of chilled calmness

encircled by stone, here I joined

the river of slow movement,

pulling at my rapid pulse.

Plucking the notes ever slower.

Heartbeat dissolving

until I was

just being

water.

Shedding Shame

January 13, 2018January 13, 2018 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 19 Comments

Willing my body to enter the room

a mountain of mortification on my back

being seen while craving camouflage.

Owning the me that showed up

failure and intention, the human package

tied up with a bow of expectations.

While seeking an empty seat,

I investigate shedding shame, cast off

of the past. Owning my skin before

molting of forgiveness.

Sintra, Portugal 2017 – Weathered

Forgiving Fridays

Almost Tangible

December 30, 2017December 30, 2017 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 13 Comments

He made the plain and simple

a view of miraculous. With just

a touch. All became encased overnight

by a spell of magic.

A landscape of tiny glass castles.

Her damp feet, nourished soul

left her with a wondering, as if

it almost never happened.

Had winter sun

melted her glass slippers away?

ALMOST

Message

November 17, 2017 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 17 Comments

Let me send my love

to float lightly on the wind.

A force that sails ships across the ocean.

Let my kisses evaporate into the clouds.

When they reach your shore,

love will rain down upon you.

Seeking a Brain Transplant

November 12, 2017November 13, 2017 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 20 Comments

She covets the minds of others,
organized, tidy, check the box off

followers of clear roads

neatly folded maps

who open to straight paths

traveling without distraction

of multiple dead ends

confusion of curlicues

to land efficiently

destination, spot on time.
Dreary haunts of defeat
her relapse into darkness

a mind off course, tunneling elsewhere
moving toward an endless horizon
without a line between earth and sky
to distinguish
what hole she fell into
this time.

This is a revised version of the poem published on Versewrights Looking back and rewriting this as a process of reflection and celebration. Thank you Versewrights for sharing my poems with your readers. Today I encourage you to embrace your process over the temporary product. The my last page has not been written yet.

Please share a poem that you have rewritten in the comments section. Let me give space to acknowledge your process.

Clarity

November 5, 2017 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 10 Comments

What used to feel immense

bewildering to follow

was now only steps away

like a runway lit up

with clear directional intention

She knew. Undeniable as the sky

the river of calm inside her.

This choice as easy as avoiding

sidewalk cracks. And there he stood.

Touching him. Toward together.

Their waters join

to flow toward the ocean.

Come write with me.

October 1, 2017 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 9 Comments

Writing is all about connection. Letters arranged to reach out across miles or decades. Voices being heard. Acknowledgement of experiences. Fantasy. Dreams on paper that can fly. Feeling another’s mind like jumping into a clear mountain lake. This is why I love writing with others. It is about a shared authentic experience that anyone can participate in.

If you are in the Portland, Oregon area during the month of October come visit the Multnomah Arts Center Gallery where I will have some poems displayed in public for the first time as a guest of artists Erin Leichty and Martin Levin. I am also holding a FREE community event.

Connecting Through Shared Writing

You are invited to connect with others through shared writing. We will use poetry to listen, write and reflect together. Participants do not need to have any writing background just a willingness to listen and embrace a fun learning experience. You will leave inspired by the art and words as we gather in the gallery space at the Multnomah Arts Center on Sunday, October 15 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm. FREE