I thought
and truly there is nothing
I would dash to rescue in the flames
my heart is intact
my hands can write
my eyes can fall on those I love
my arms can wrap around them
my mind is alive with joy and memories
brighter than the fire
and hotter still…
knowing this, I’d stand and watch
as the flames catch allIn response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Burning Down the House.”
free verse
Limbo
Presently I am alive
but I’m feeling rather dull
as happens when you shoot for the moon,
miss the mark and find yourself
crashing down without a safety
burned to the point of numbness
and wondering when the pain ended
and limbo began
then the epiphany…
there are bills to pay
and mouths to feed
an alarm clock shouting orders
and a bladder full of yesterday
screaming to be emptied
so with quiet, masterful care I
sit on the edge of my bed
forgetting to remember
what it means to really live
and with one great heave
propel myself into the routine
that keeps me here
Headspace
All I do is scream
Even my conversation
is a shout, unbearable
to my own ears
Who am I?
It seems anger has taken over
speaks for me in my dreams
and waking hours
In harsh tones and insults
An axe blade to chop down
Feelings of vulnerable me
that later show themselves as hot tears, salt poured on wounds too deep to heal
A headspace I want desperately
to leave…
One Springtime
Years have passed
But something about springtime takes me there
That place in time
To quiet nights with only you
and mornings waking to the birds
Singing their happy songs
To something I can only call hope
Today was one of those days
When something about the breeze
Or the clouds
Or the sounds
Took me back
It’s an easy thing to do
Remembering you
And also the hardest
Losing you…
Despite it all,
I am grateful and like the springtime
Hopeful
That I feel the sunshine
Caress my skin
And awaken springtime once again
In me
Shopping
He waved a welcome
Standing patiently as I wheeled my cart clumsily toward him
Through the crowd
A cart full, a mind full
But not so full to notice how painstakingly he lifted and scanned every item
While making awkward conversation
About why snowmen are always dressed in warm clothes
And joking about how perhaps
Perhaps
“They wear clothes because it’s cool”
Something I’d never thought of before
I knew that he was reaching
Simple interaction…something
Transaction
Eye contact and a smile as I handed him my cash
Said a sincere thank you
Pocketed my change and walked away
Endings
His smile was beautiful
the kind of smile that keeps secrets
the kind every girl loves but none could hold
And when he kissed her
it was the most delicious of kisses
tasting mildly of vodka
and cigarette
and mint
The best she’d ever had
the best she ever would have
and the one kiss she wished to touch her lips
for all the days of her life
The one kiss she prayed would never end.
Only, like all great storybooks
it did
And like all great stories
she was left wanting to know more
of this strange and wonderful character
and how the story might go on
if only
if only
Tight Rope
It’s not so easy
But it’s easy to pretend
To be anyone at anytime but me
Off balance
Deliberate
Knowing that the wind can send me toppling
That the line can break
And leave me grasping hopelessly
Torn veil
Judgment passes through
As effortlessly as the sun blots out the stars upon rising
Twilight
Before the dawn of understanding
The voices in the background will always play the loop
It is my choice to listen
And let the tight rope hold me
Or simply let go
Sky falls
Sometimes the sky does fall
Crashing down
A million tiny pieces
And there is no way to fix the looking glass to hide the flaws
So the rain pours
And your chest hurts from the weight your heart has carried
And your fingertips bleed from the many times you tried to sweep away the pain of your brokenness
And your knees
Oh God
Your knees are raw from all the times you prayed to see the sun shine through the shattered bits of sky
The bits of sky you still see when you look up
The bits that remind you of the beginning
When it was all brand new
The bits that bend the sunlight as the rays pass through
And like a prism, scatter the beams
Leaving rainbows in unexpected places
A laugh overheard as you make your way down the aisle of a familiar store
The wag of a shaggy dog’s tail as he runs to greet you at the door
Hope that someday,
Someday maybe
You’ll feel brand new again.
Home
Free form verse I wrote awhile ago, and thought I’d share.
In every house
there is a soul
Some tame, some wild
But souls nonetheless
With tales to tell
Secrets only the listener knows
Raw truths marked only by the passage of time
The lines soft and welcoming
Like wrinkles in an old woman’s smile
Scars on that pristine facade
Passersby see and judge
But never feel
They never know how the strong winds have ripped at its bones
How fire licked softly at its skin and turned the white picket fence to ash
Yet it remains
As promising as a newborn’s cry as dawn breaks upon its beloved head
Its foundation made a fortress through the pain
Standing silently under a cloudless blue sky
Waiting only for its master
To come home
Golifely 