Do onto others as you wish to be done onto
This is the call
Cast off the shackles of
Abuse
Neglect
Mistreatment
Harm
The scars that mar your ancestors
The scars that mar you
The greatest gift given in life
Free will
Wield it like a craftsman
Hold it like a pen and
Rewrite your story
Erase the patterns from your pages
Show your children that you
Can reshape the stars in the sky
Show them how to heal in the light of the moon
And the bright beacon of day
No future is written in stone
No fate inevitable
Let it begin here
By deciding the pain of the past
Ends here
-gws
Tag: Family
A Love Letter for Those Who Love Me
Thank you all for being my angels
My bowling lane bumper guards
My Jiminy Crickets
My chorus of friends and family
Who say the things I have had so much trouble saying to myself
For constantly reminding me that the children and I
Demand, command, and deserve
To be held most valuable
For reminding me that no matter how terrible I feel about what I am doing
That there is a greater good that I must serve
That of the wellbeing of my family of three growing souls and one old, weary one
“I love you,” is hardly powerful enough
“I’m grateful,” is impotent in its ability to deliver the depth
Of what I feel for what you are doing for me and my children
You have filled the many holes in me with light and love and patience and grace
This journey hasn’t drowned me because you have pulled my head from beneath the water
Gently reminding me to breathe until I can remember how to float again
I know I wouldn’t be at this place
Walking forward one painful step at a time without all of you
Picking me up and cheering me on
-gws
If Not Me
I may appear whole
What you cannot see
Are the burns on my feet
From walking miles through fire
The stars in my eyes
From taking too many hits
The lacerations on my skin
From navigating uncountable shards of glass
The weariness deep in my bones
From rising everyday to overcome
Some challenge or trial
Again
And again
I have dodged and weaved
Punched and parried my way
Through days I never could have predicted
I have shown up when all I desired
Was to lay down and give up
Because if not me, then who
Mothers have to dig deep
We have to find that reservoir of power labeled
Do it for the children
So I push
So I push
So I push
Through the deepest, coldest waters
The fiercest, raging fires
The longest, darkest nights because
If not me, then who
For them
-gws
Disobedient Children
"Disobedient children don't live half of their days." I can hear your voice reciting this sentiment Did you ever consider how scary that sounds to a child I know it was meant to scare But was it meant to scar This turn of phrase left me so confused So convinced that I’d never see adulthood I know you meant no harm You carried forward what you learned Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep brought no comfort For what does a child know of life and death The memory of that oft said phrase The memory of that terrible prayer Still haunt my inner child Rock-a-bye Baby always made me sad for the baby Why was the baby on a treetop A baby falling from a broken tree bough Is hardly a comforting lullaby I did not carry these things forward I staunchly refused I surrendered the nightmares of these things to the ether and to time And celebrate every day that this disobedient child is still here - gws
Fairy Tale
A poem for my paternal aunt
You were a fairy tale A daydream A character in a bedtime story You were the fairy godmother in the mythology of my creation The accessible connection to the family I wanted to know And like a fairy tale You materialized into my life on a an ordinary day Bringing stories, love, and family I never expected to experience I could not imagine that my heart could hold all that you brought with you And yet it does As you fill in the blank pages of my storybook With the missing magic words that make me a whole person -gws