I tried to love you
In spite of yourself
I couldn’t know
That I’d forget
To love me
In the process
-gws
Unintended Consequences
Category: Vulnerability
Wants and Needs
Everything's become about
Wants and needs
So much so
That we forgot
How to just
Be
-gws
Dear Woman in the Mirror
Dear woman in the mirror
How are you today?
Did you sleep well?
I’d like to ask you to be my Valentine?
My Gal-entine?
My number one relationship
Will you dream with me of our happiness?
Will you help me manifest our joy?
I promise to shower you in compliments
To speak softly and gently to you
I will hold your wellbeing above all things
I know I haven’t always been your cheerleader
I have often been your worst critic
And I’m sorry for that
I’m learning how to treat you better
I’m learning how to better support you
To do more than acknowledge you have needs
I wish to meet those needs
I wish to show you the deepest kindness
I wish to reflect your incomparable worthiness
Because you are always worthy
No matter what others say or do to prove otherwise
Would you like a cup of tea?
How about a blanket and a good book?
Do you need a moment in the sun,
Or perhaps a nap buried beneath mounds of blankets?
You and me are the OG
We’ve got to take care of each other
Because no matter who comes and goes
We will always have each other
We’ve endured a lot together
I know you are so tired
I promise you that we will learn to move
From surviving to thriving
You and I
Let’s start today, my Valentine
By promising to say these three words
Every time we see each other
I love you
I love you
I love you
(I love me)
(I love me)
(I love me)
-gws
Please Forgive My Silence
Please forgive my silence
It is not easy to converse
When I don't have much to say
Not for want of company
But for lack of breath to speak
I have been gasping lately
In pain
In tears
In prayer
Gasping for air in a chest too tight
On days when getting up takes
All my might
All my fight
Please forgive my silence
My burdens are so much to bare
I hold myself too tightly wound
For fear of shaking into pieces
And if I set my voice free
I worry what will become of me
-gws
Season of Truth
I have entered my season of truth
The veil of delusion
Illusion
Deliberate ignorance
Is being peeled away
It is not an ugly truth
I find below the surface
But a blinding
Shining truth
One that offers a promise
Of deliverance from a
Self-imposed bondage
And offers a path
To a beautiful new freedom
-gws
My Nervous System Knows
When vibrant joy sparks bitter tears It means that too many years Have been spent in emotional blight That no jubilation can put to right Like a cloud crossing the sun Or a dissonant chord rung When my heart swells and glows My nervous system knows That this joy will lead to grieving My chest begins its heaving Turning smiles into frowns As the cortisol lets down How long has this been so I will not pretend to know Like a candle smothered I unconsciously keep covered That which makes me take up space Before I can feel the grace Of real joy in my blood I dump it in the mud I avoid the disappointment Like a fly stuck in the ointment I abandon my true will When he sets on me that chill And so I am now trained That joy will end in pain I know that I must mend So the sun can shine again -gws
Pinned
My voice has been captured Pinned like a butterfly in a shadowbox Stored away for safe keeping Some think it soothing and melodic Which amuses me since I find it awkward Muted by fear of judgment and indifference But no more I have removed the glass and pins And though it trembles It is free Free to become stronger To spread its wings and venture into other gardens Fragile and imperfect Brave and determined Flitting from ear to ear Pollinating minds with my perspectives Flying joyously free on the wind -gws
Rabbit Holes of Rumination
You treat me like a beautiful mind Asking my opinions Exploring ideas You invite me to engage in discordant conversation And uncomfortable curiosity You bid me to think deeply To test the boundaries of my beliefs You ask me to pull you down rabbit holes of rumination Neither of us sure where we will be lead Yet both of us excited for the journey We discuss, debate, and discover We challenge, and question, and deadlock Always honest and vulnerable Open, curious, and safe Exchanging thoughts and perspectives With the utmost love and respect And I thank you for every luminous minute -gws
Rain Mellowed the Rock
The rock stood stalwart over the sea Strong Silent Resolute Ever watching Ever present The sea praised the rock Recognizing its reliability Extolling its resilience Of the rock's ability to weather the elements Alongside the sea But the rock wasn't resilient The rock suffered The rain mellowed the rock Smoothing down its defined edges At first the rock did not mind Because aren't smoothed edges A testament to its steadfast partnership with the sea Showing proof of its loyalty But water was also an insidious lover The mist with the help of the wind found every crack And forced its way deep within the stone Expanding fissures and causing fractures The rock without realizing lost itself to time The relentlessness of water Slowly broke down the rock Until it one day crumbled into the sea It was not mourned or missed Its absence sparked no shadow of memory For the sea still lapped and lashed and sprayed and claimed All who sat upon its shore One drop of salted water at a time -gws
Poison
Your soul is bruised by the poison you drink from your own veins. -gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 