It began with a word so small
and unspoken that it waited
in a bitter slick at the back of
your tongue, held in check,
afraid to trespass the air.
The rest of the words trickled
down the back of your throat,
left dangling with other threads
of hard yearning and numb
disappointment. Even a whisper is
too much. So little air can pass that
a sigh turns to a gasp, a strangle
self-inflicted but denied until it
bloats the body, stifling light and
intention. So bound by muzzles of
our own making, blue tints our lips
and the water in our eyes floods over
parched skin covering dehydrated
bones. Just feigning life, fearful of
judgment, our hands to our throats.
A feast of tears and angst is a hollow
meal. Let your ragged gasp bray out,
hack and spit those stale words to the
earth to be cleaned. Suffering is not
a sacrament to be lifted up for worship.
Raise your eyes instead to the blunt beauty
of clouds throwing shadows over the mesa,
the sun flashing crevices with blue light.
…
Yes, “SHOUT, SHOUT, let it all out!…” Thank you!
Howl, hoot and yodel!
WOW!!! POWERFUL!
A reminder and a keeper!
Thank you, Jean!
“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets , so love the people who treat you right, forget about one’s who don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”
Sent from my iPhone – Kathy
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Agreed, Kathy. Thank you.
“Suffering is not a sacrament to be lifted up for worship.”
It would sure be interesting if more people understood this. Yes, bray it out loud and long and clear. Get rid of those feasts of tears, muzzles, hollow meals, anguish. Life is too short to wallow in that sewage. Bathe in the light, the rain, the wind. Let loose the joy.
How I wish there were more clear, clean conversations out there. Thanks, Aquila.
Wow! Your expression just took a leap to the stars! 🙂
Yikes, thank you!
Thank you, Anna, for your well-timed and appreciatively received words, as always. So when does the poetry book come out?
Well, soon, but I always really like the last poem. Like that could ever be a problem. 😉
Yes, yes, YES! Well said. Thank you.
You’re welcome. YES.
YES!
Thanks, Anne
Wow, that took my breath away. The picture drew me in, such an adorable pose, I thought. Powerful. I look forward to the book.
Thank you. Lilith and I were dawdling under the tree.
Amen.
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sigh…
Another fine memory and thought stimulated by two friends. Anna and Lillith.
Thanks, Chaz.