Some bridges are better off burning
Leaving the past buried beneath ash and embers
Smoke drifting away from the devastation
Like fading memories
-gws
Bridges
Category: Prompted
Poetry inspired by a prompt
Salt and Sage
In sacred prayer
I place myself in Her protection
Amongst a ring of salt and sage
To cleanse and clarify
Purify and protect
Grounding me to earth
Connecting me to sky
-gws
Possibilities
I fall in love multiple times a day
I am wooed by the beauty of the waking sky
The feel of hot water on my skin
The rich deep smell of brewing coffee
Enchanted with my children's laughter
A stranger's smile as we pass on the street
A friend's text message saying hello
Captivated by the crescent moon in a starry sky
A blazing sunset over a summer ocean
The fog spilling into the valley over the coastal mountains
There's so much to love if one chooses to look
So much to be delighted by
All it takes is a willingness to see the possibilities in the world
-gws
Nothing to Prove
When the truth comes out
It's quiet
No pomp and circumstance
The truth has nothing to prove
-gws
To Thine Own Self Be True
This above all
To thine own self be true
But damn
Is that a hard thing to do
I want to hold
To my own principles
To set firm my jaw
And without a pause
Hold firm the ground
I'm planted upon
But when I say no
You refuse to move on
Turning my insides
Upside and down
Knitting my eyebrows
And causing a frown
Why is honoring me
Such an ask
It's not like I'm begging
Some outrageous task
I'm asking for only
Mutual respect
Yet you recoil
As if you were decked
Leaving me feeling
Like I've caused you harm
While my heart is rattling
My chest in alarm
Now I'm a monster
For making my needs
A priority which
Leaves you aggrieved
One day soon
I will disavow
Ownership of
What's forced on me now
I will figure out how
To my own self be true
And with peace in my heart
I will leave you
-gws
Tea
I wish to walk the rest of my life with dried lavender and rose petals beneath my feet
Sprigs of chamomile and orange blossoms tangled in my hair
And warm, tea-colored afternoons in my heart
-gws
Moody Skies
How I love a blue-gray sky
Hanging heavy above a blue-green sea
Or a sky of vibrant summer blue
Filled with the white puffs of lazy clouds
How about the velvet blue of a midnight sky
Glittering with silver stars
The enchanted pastel painted skies of dawn
Dressed in pinks and sherbet oranges
Or better yet the jeweled-toned shows of sunsets at the closing day
Painted with deep reds and purples and burning oranges
The sky's moods are all so beautiful
-gws
I Was You Yesterday
I was you yesterday
Broken down and broken hearted
Today, I begin my ascent with the dawn
And tomorrow, so can you
-gws
When the Muses Finally Give Up on Me
When the Muses finally give up on me
I pray that my efforts with their
Essence of creation made them proud
To have smiled upon me
-gws
How the Wind Came and Changed Everything
My curls dance around my face
As the wind kisses my cheeks rosy
These are the winds of change
Smelling of hope and promise
Action and evolution
The wind sings dreams of change to me
It pulls at my skirts
Kisses goosebumps onto my skin
Willing me to move my feet
Daring me to take a chance
Toward unwritten promise
I toss on my sweater
Pick up my notebook
Tamp down my hat
And walk toward the unknown
Wind cheering at my back
Celebrating the changing of everything
-gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 