(For Abriana)
I met a little girl once
And quite a girl she was
Her passion was for reading
It was her deepest love
Words became her closest friends
And stories her salvation
She hung on words like branching limbs
One swings from on vacation
I hope she knows how special she is
I pray she never wonders
If she’s really ever good enough
When seen through eyes of others
I imagine her crafting stories one day
Deep and rich and compelling
Inspiring another child
To fall in love with storytelling
-gws
And so comes the end of the heaviest chapter
The plot twisted dramatically
In the hands of an unreliable narrator
Linear time fractured
Slowed
Ran backward
Perspectives shifted
Creating more confusion than clarity
Muted colors of nostalgia dull recollections
Emotional sharpness blunted
The hollow ache of a long goodbye
Completed with the deliberate placement
Of an arch-ending period.
The next act begins with a page turn
“THE NEXT CHAPTER” written atop it
-gws
On this ordinary October day
I did my part to change the world
In a most extraordinary way
I voted
For who I hope will be
Our first woman president
With proud ancestors at my back
My children’s future cast before me
I released my grain of sand into the glass
To do my small part to move us forward
Towards a future the mothers preceding me
Could only hope to dream of
For their progeny
-gws
Trying to figure out
who this version of me is
She feels like a stranger,
but I think I might end up
liking her
-gws
I have coated my boundaries in sacred salt
Saged the walls of my mind
Served healing teas to my soul
Soaked my dreams in moon water
Calmed my spirits with lavender sachets
I have removed the “welcome” mat from my doorstep
Hung a horseshoe above my threshold
Covered my aura in layers of steel
Cut the cord with silver shears
All to reclaim myself from you
-gws
Beneath her surface lies
Unfathomable truths
Jealousy guarded
Her roaring a warning
That what she takes
Will not be returned the same
All are tithes to the moon-drunk sea
She takes all manner of tribute
Hopes
Dreams
Prayers
Secrets
Grief
Gratitude
Messages
Stone
Glass
Vessels
Bounty
Life
She is not picky
Transmuting all inside her churning depths
Into polished fragments to be left
As glittering pieces amongst the sand
Some emerge as treasure
Others tragedy
Everything transformed
-gws
Some days
Getting out of bed
Putting on my adulting pants and
Mechanically doing what needs to be done
Is an accomplishment
-gws
Poems begin with desire
Deep and persistent
Feverish and demanding
They demand attention
Needful hungry things
Finicky in how they want to be handled
Not touched by just any words
They must be the RIGHT words
Poems demand intimate connection
Crave it
Require it
They require time to build
A sacred dance between poet and pen
The stimulation of mind and soul
Identification and reflection of the human experience
Poems must touch the most intimate parts of us
Where human and universe converge
Grasping and pulling feelings to the surface
Until the soul explodes in prismatic truths
Leaving the skin erupted in goosebumps
Pupils dilated and breath quickened
The soul's hunger satisfied
Poems demand nothing less
-gws
Welcome, dear Traveler, to our domain.
We, the keepers of this checkpoint, are here to help you take heed
Listen well to our advice for there are many dangers before you
Pay close attention to all we say, and success shall be yours
Ignore our guidance and know that you will make a wonderful meal for the creatures beyond,
and we have all the popcorn we could want for to enjoy the show.
Fare thee well!
-gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 