Each time the house shook I knew A storm was brewing With unbridled rage Knew that pools of acrid magma Were rising to the surface Seeking release Each time the house shook I knew That nowhere was safe There was not enough time to escape The maelstrom was coming Wrathful and vicious Seeking release Each time the house shook I knew I would stand against the gale Diving deep into my power Drawing on an ancient strength Of ancestor, element, and divinity Seeking release -gws
I will tie starlight into my curls And paint my face in the deepest hues of garnet, ruby, and sapphire I will weave a gown from moonlight And trim it with lace born of pale sea foam and iridescent spider webs I will wear slippers shaped from silvery moss And adorn my throat in strings of silver and moonstone I will pull light from the edges of the darkest shadows And wrap it around myself like a cloak I will pull the reflected starlight from the water And craft a crown of dancing luminescence I will present myself beneath the radiant moon in this glowing finery And with Her blessing, I will shine as a reminder to all That there is no darkness without the light -gws
I am a phoenix White fire and quiet, contained power Yet you mistake me for something common I am elemental and fierce I am intuitive and intelligent I am calm and steadfast Until ignited or inflamed That is when all of my truth All of my fearsomeness and fire Blaze like a beacon in the night Warning all who see me that I am transformed into my divine self Wings spread wide Eyes blazing Consuming all that stands in my way I will always get back up I will always rise again Smarter More experienced Clearer-eyed You may not see that I am a precious rarity But I promise you that when I ascend I will shine with divine light And leave you cowering in total darkness -gws
I am a complicated thing
I am metaphor and simile
I am strings of carefully chosen adjectives
I am freeform and feelings
I am lyrical pauses and dramatic imagery
I am deep truth and sharp honesty
I am unapologetic wit
I am rage and grace
I am vulnerability spot lit
I am raw and unpolished
I am real
I am a writer
I am a poem
-gws
Voices rose in sharp keening The dry grass caught And the world began to burn Ancestors' voices whispered in their ears As they focused their rage into a reckoning -gws
Men can spread themselves like weeds in a wind storm and women must endure the consequences -gws
It's big work to fill her shoes. Though her shoes may be small, her footprint is GIANT. - gws
I want a closet full of ball gowns that I wear to the grocery store I want a shelf full of outlandish hats that I wear to walk the dog I want a drawer full of adorable fandom socks that I wear with bedazzled sneakers I want a collection of cloaks, coats, and sweaters handmade from mismatched scraps of fabric and yarn that create random, joyous patterns I want to dance on curbs and twirl in open spaces I want to speak random bits of spontaneous verse in the park I want to compliment the charismatic child and the quietest person at the party so they know they are seen I want to be the joyous crone who says sage things and knows that life shouldn’t be taken so seriously I want to be unequivocally, undeniably me -gws
My body does not behave like yours It does not look like yours React like yours Respond like yours Hurt or heal like yours It tolerates heat, touch, illness, medication differently than yours This body is not yours It is mine It is my home My vessel My temple It is my conveyance through this life It is the only thing that is one hundred percent mine And no pen or opinion of another being Has a right to intervene in my agency over it -gws
Blue skies Music blasting Windows down Freedom Miles of laughter Girlfriends Confessions and secrets Worry free Enjoying life Road trippin' -gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 