Redemption

Sometimes
The simple act of cleaning a toilet
Can feel like redemption 

-gws

Do Not Confuse Grief With Guilt

A friend said to me,

“Remember you didn’t cause it.
You couldn’t have prevented it.
You have nothing to feel guilty for.
It is okay to grieve.
There is much to grieve,
But do not confuse grief with guilt.”

I did not know how much I needed
These words until they were spoken.

-gws

Step Back

Everyone who has ever loved you
Have put their hands up and
Taken a step back
Now they are looking at me
Wondering if now is when
I will finally do the same

-gws

Rage Fire

The truth has lit a rage fire in my belly
Where there was guilt and pity
There is now a simple aching coal
Burning so hot it challenges the sun

-gws

The Rocky Path

I’m walking between worlds 
Both in a nightmare
And waking from one
Navigating the rocky path
One footfall at a time
Calling on my ancestors 
Those women who each
Did the same in their own way 
As I step out of darkness 
Into the healing light of freedom 

-gws

Burn

I sat in the flames as it all burned down
Trying to douse it with tears
But now I see things for what they are
And I step back to watch it burn

-gws

Offline

I regret to inform you
That the reality you subscribe to
Is currently offline 
As reality has no power switch 
There is no way to reset the system
Please accept my apologies 
For the extreme inconvenience
Such is the risk of sentient life
I never promised you life would be easy

-gws

Box of Postcards

I wrote you a box of postcards
I never sent
I could not set the stamp
In place
I could not address it 
To that space
You weren't there anyway
You never really were

-gws

Notes to Self

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity
Trust yourself
In the midst of chaos, find your calm
Embrace the unknown
Everyday is a second chance
Keep going 

-gws

Patience

Patience is hard
Growing 
Becoming
Evolving
All require patience
In a world where instant gratification
Rewards us at the tap of a button
Practicing patience can feel like torture

Patience demands of us 
To stay tethered to this moment
Preventing any full escape into distraction
Being present is trying
It feels hard
Abrasive
Affronting
We are uncomfortable
Patience requires us to 
Embrace the discomfort
That often comes from 
Being wholly present

Patience presents the opportunity 
To practice experiencing the now
To practice being curious
About our being
About our feelings
So that we may learn
To know ourselves better
So that we may learn to be 
More comfortable
In our own skin
In our own spirit
In our own life

-gws