poetry

My knees folded neatly over my shoulders, tucked behind my ears, arms reaching behind me, holding together the tiny package I've become. This is how I show up, neat, pleasant, bite-size. Easy to dismiss. Easy to overlook. Easy to take advantage of. So, I pull my arms closer, tuck a little tighter, make myself smaller, a little more & a little more, so they will think I'm easy & choose me after all. But oh well, now I'm suddenly too inflexible? Rigid? Standing in the way? A sm

I dreamed about you last night, the atmosphere still lingering on me this morning like a thick, smooth rope gliding softly over my bare shoulders as I made my way into the day. Everything had a richer quality, my coffee tasted full of hope, my skin felt soft and the grey day outside my window full of possibilities. A quiet, peaceful richness, still vibrant at its brim that seems to call & make me brave saying everything will be ok. I'm not sure any of this makes sense, realit

I'm letting her out of the basement today! I know I am mad but I don't feel a thing, anger is playing hide and seek with me again & I don't have the energy to pretend. The door's closed and guarded by a scary grinning cat that wants me to smile through the pain, be a queen & hold up my head. You see, grief I know by now, helplessness I can endure, even loneliness & despair have become my friends, - but anger? I don't know her! She lives in the shadows, rarely says a word, tur

I'm becoming the person I needed growing up, the curious and non-judgmental, the loving and supportive. I'm becoming the parent, the friend, and the teacher I could've only dreamed of. Maybe, one day, when I've loved myself loud enough, I'll be able to do the same for someone else, but for now, I'm becoming the person I needed growing up. This is an original poem written for the painting "becoming". It reminds me that before we can teach someone else anything we need to teach