Life’s roar a whisper
Country road curves with no plan
Afternoon of you.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2019
Poetry
The Architecture of Conversing
Beside me, your mummers begin
repetition of words to form
a solid, something to hold on to.
As you hammer a picture in sound,
letters arrange in audible order
to hear who you are.
To speak building blocks, stack phrases
scaffold words of steel
structures to withstand tomorrow.
I am silent witness
to the rebuilding of yourself.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2019
“The most visible creators are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible ~ without brush, hammer, clay, or guitar. They neither paint nor sculpt. Their medium is simply being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They see, but don’t have to draw… Because they are the artists of being alive… – Donna J. Stone
You are the landlord
Overwhelm has taken
up residence
in your brain again?
You wrote the rental
agreement, chose
the limits.
Remember, you
can evict it.
© Ali Grimshaw 2019
“I Reject Walls”: A 2019 Poetry Preview” by CRAIG MORGAN
“So here are a few of the upcoming books of poetry I’m most excited about, books that are keeping me from losing hope, books that remind me that, even as America is at its most divided, its language is about synthesis, about coming together, about dissimilar things that form a gorgeous and powerful whole. These books are angry, they’re afraid, they’re grieving and hoping; so am I. I’m grateful for their company.”
The power of poetry. You can’t help but want to see this list.
Learning to Dive
One day I finally knew that I could swim
in the blue of the sky.
That I was as strong as my declaration.
My fears, teachers made just for me.
That there would always be cracks to slip through
times of trembling, shaken awake to fall again.
Then I stood next to the lake,
a mirror of blue sky wholeness,
arms wide with acceptance
I, the problem and solution
dove into
reflection of release.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2019 (rewrite of 2017 poem)
Photo taken on a family trip to Varenna, Italy 2016
Unexpected – Poem by Ali Grimshaw
Life emerged from one egg
unexpected, now expecting
broken hearted or leap into life shared
anything in exchange for relief
from this current mind cloud
and a diagram to life’s answers.
Hold my hand and then
we will both know
a chance together forward.
© Ali Grimshaw 2019
Contentment – Poem by Ali Grimshaw
Home was a dented silver trailer
simply, without shine inside and out.
The window view of the sea
its evolving colors of cloud and fog
filled her need for decoration.
A square sky painting above the sink
included her in its masterpiece
filled her with belonging
and a soundtrack of constant rhythm
wave reassurance, murmurs of the earth.
Passersby with lipfrowning judgement
downcast looks of pity at her dwelling
would never know her contentment.
She had found her community
between wind and simplicity.
© Ali Grimshaw 2019 (Rewrite)
Wade in the river
Knee deep in, “I can’t believe I said that.”
Toes numbed by the cold reality
while echoed words play inside your head.
Let the current caress errors of grime
wash away the mistaken mud of this day
to return to the raw, tender tingle.
Step out onto the bank of clean sheets
let new beginnings drip from your feet.
© Ali Grimshaw 2019
Begin again
now, before you change your mind
and doubt blankets you with too comfortable
while familiar climbs onto your lap, warmly weighty
and resignation joins in to pull courage from the room
before you are left alone on the cold couch
deserted by dreams of sitting under
a green tree of sunlight.
© Ali Grimshaw 2019
365 Pages of 2018 – a poem by Ali Grimshaw
I wrote across
and down the page
sometimes diagonal doodles
to break through lines
that I refused, not willing
to be penned in.
Editing bled and tore through
to pages underneath.
Grateful for a thick tablet
layers of mistakes on the way to golden
this party called life, waking up
to attend, embrace the tousled mess
tumbles, triumph, trembles of love
that live outside of words.
The minutes are not guaranteed
savor this very one.
© Ali Grimshaw 2018
Each year I celebrate getting to live another year by writing a birthday poem. I hope this inspires you to author your life. What story are you writing this year? These bloggers have inspired my next chapter; Debbie at Forgiving Connects , Colleen at The Chatter Blog, Val at Find Your Middle Ground, Miriam at Out an’ About, and Brad at Writing To Freedom
Here is the link to last year’s birthday poem 365 Pages.
May love touch your day.
Ali
Insuppressible
even encased, your
vibrancy cannot be held
captive, you gleam on
© Ali Grimshaw 2018
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 