Deb at Kicking Corners is our guest today. She's one of my new favorite bloggers with her thought-provoking posts and incredible range. She sent me these lovely poems that have instantly taken up residence in my sub-conscious. Thank you, Deb, for sharing these vibrant little bits of life with us.
These are drops in an ocean of things you could do.
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You're helping me get past the part
where I feel like throwing up.
Me being quiet protects you
from having to know.
And from having to do.
I want to live somewhere
that's it's okay to make mistakes.
In this world you have to be perfect.
Pictures don't talk.
This grey place is calm --
but not for long.
Learn to Too
When I get mad at you,
here are some things you can do:
You can call me a bitch and walk away.
You can talk over me, not listen to a word I say.
Or you can smirk at me, laugh. Make me feel dumb.
You can rip my emotions apart until I feel numb.
You can lock me away from what I care for.
You can keep tally of comments, like sport with a score.
These are drops in an ocean of things you could do.
But if you really love me,
like I love you --
then when I get mad at you,
show me you love me anyway.
Despite the things I say.
Because the deep down secret is this:
I'm really just mad at me.
I know this ocean because I've learned to tread water in it.
Nearly over my self-depreciating head,
I'm spinning in it.
But if you can still love me,
no matter what I do,
maybe I can learn to too.
Myth's Creations
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Bubbling out.
We are a spring brook.
We are full of fish and tadpols.
We tumble together.
Waves washing over and over each other.
Roaring, we are the ocean,
laughing.
Lazy snakes, not wiley.
We lay on rocks.
Soaking. Sun.
You are warm to me.
You are my tree of knowledge:
teaching me good and evil.
You are my tree of life:
we are forever.
We are creation myths.
I believe in you.
Wonderful poetry. "I know this ocean because I've learned to tread water in it." Love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jewels. You've learned to tread water too? I think the ocean is bigger than we ever thought, eh? And I think we're all water-treaders; I'm glad I'm not alone.
DeleteMy favorite is, "Learn To Too" .
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
Thanks Larissa. Another water-treader? :)
Delete"We are creation myths / I believe in you." I love this.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vesuvius. I'm in love with the ideas swirling around different stories about creation, around and through myths, and the idea that we are both the creators of creation and myth (true or not true, depending on your beliefs, but either way the stories wouldn't be carried down if not for the ones choosing to carry. If that even makes sense?), as well as the characters acting out our parts in the continuation of creation and myth. If that even makes sense. Heh.
DeleteI think half the difficulty is in deciding what and who to believe in, so. I think choosing to believe in someone is a very big deal.
These are so stirring and the photos are perfectly coordinated with the poems. So glad you shared these with us.
ReplyDeleteTangledLou was so fabulous to share her space. I loved seeing my string of words on her page, and to see how she chose to illustrate them? Lovely. So lovely.
DeleteThanks for your thoughts.
Such real poetry - that I can understand and feel.
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie. I love that you can understand it, and feel it, which to me means that either you've had similar experiences, or you are a very good empathizer. I'm grateful for your thoughts either way.
DeleteBeautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI love 'Learn to Too' it spoke to something in me. I know those feelings well. 'You can keep tally of comments, like sport with a score' how often have I done this!!
Thanks for sharing.
Sleepy Joe :) Yay! I love to hear what you think. I definitely do this, and the funny (sad?) thing is, even though I'm able to recognize that I do it, I'm not necessarily less likely to do it. Life is a process, eh?
DeleteI hope when I'm 79 I actually have some kind of handle on all this. That's what I'm going for :)
Thanks, TangledLou, for the opportunity to guest-write on your blog. It was a challenge because I admire your writing, I like the feel of your space here, and so I wanted to find something that was at least somewhat up to par with your style. I feel like on my blog I'm desperately writing, desperately posting, and things aren't always as glam and fab as I'd like them to be. But. So.
ReplyDeleteSo it was nice to look through my archives for something(s) I've elbow-greased a little more work and effort into. What better place to put them than into your blog? Thanks for this. An appreciated pleasure, you can be sure.