I wander amongst the damp earth and moss covered trees. I walk by the water where the stones are worn smooth and reflect on how life has polished and refined me. -gws
Polished
Tag: poetry
Memories
Once so tangible and full of detail Now blurred to softness like watercolor ghosts What used to feel like yesterday now reminds that yesterday was a long time ago Like chalk in rain, only hints of detail remain Specifics are now impressions wrapped in a soft quilt of nostalgia I grasp hopelessly at the intangible like trying to hold onto a dream upon waking I wish I could return to the presence of those times To stand within myself and see again from my own eyes Feel again with my own senses Retouch the blurring lines like an old tattoo And return the vivid, Technicolor, stereophonic quality of those most precious moments In Kodachrome vibrancy on the mental reel to reel that are my memories Before time leeched them of their saturation Like a well-loved security blanket with its rough edges and snagged seams I handle these memories with adoration as I explore what remains of something so precious And sit in gratitude for still having them at all -gws
Gentle Mother, Goddess of Light
Gentle Mother, Goddess of Light Who is my provider and peacemaker My guardian and counselor Who is my teacher and my grace I lay my weary head down upon your thigh And relax into your comforting embrace As a child with her mother I release my fears and worries over to your care And float, unburdened, in the warmth of your love I bare to you my imperfections and am reminded that I am exactly as I am meant to be I ask you to guide me to always do the next right thing I ask you to remind me to be as forgiving of myself as you are of me My love and trust in you are perfect As your love and guidance for me is perfect Help me to be where my feet are Help me to manifest strength when I need Help me to think and act with compassion for others and myself Help me to forgive more willingly Help me to know and live my truth regardless of others' understanding of it Help me to set aside my defenses and listen with empathy Help me to find a little more patience when I fall short Help me to know when to stand and when to withdraw May I be humbled and inspired by you And may I manifest your motherly love in all directions I travel in this life -gws
This Moment (I Will)
I will slow and be observant of this moment I will breathe deep and remember that Divinity is suspended within that breath I will release expectations and surrender to the experience of unfolding I will still myself and listen to the music in the rustling of wind in leaves I will raise my face and rejoice in the splashing of rain I will find magic in my children's laughter I will be watchful for the spontaneous manifestation of joy I will allow space for silence so I can leave room to hear my own soul speak I will radiate compassion for myself and others I will love myself at lease as much as others love me I will forgive myself when I forget my grace I will practice replacing anger and resentment with empathy for the other I will stop to replenish my own cup before trying to fill the cups of others I will try shifting my perspective when I am conflicted in order to scout a path through I will accept myself as I am for I am perfectly imperfect as a forever evolving work in progress I will always stand back up despite life's bruises and pain even if it takes me a minute for I am resilient I will remember that strength is also knowing when to rest and relinquish and try again tomorrow -gws
Resentment
Sitting deep in my resentments Realizing they stem from loss and sorrow Of dreams eviscerated Of hard work and sweat made irrelevant Of a vision shattered and danced upon As if it was the wicked witch’s grave Years of work wiped away Passions extinguished leaving a scarred ruin of what was wonderful Hope of resurrection gasping away the opportunity for salvation with each passing day -gws
Thirsty
I am so thirsty I am immersed in fantasies of a time when my thirst was so well quenched My soul was refreshed and my parched needs answered A time when my mind was challenged and stimulated My heart valued My fires stoked My passions met Every movement or comment part of the dance Every idea appreciated and explored with genuine curiosity A time when long and deep conversations bloomed into sighs and gasps When I was seen as a spirit and a woman When I was worshiped like a goddess and accepted as my authentic and whole self I remember what it feels like to know satisfaction in my soul To be matched in every way A time when stimulating debate ended in lovemaking Where flirty jokes ended in effervescent laughter I long to be loved in that way again To be seen To be heard To be appreciated To be sparred with I want to bask in conversations which stimulate my mind so much that my body can't help but follow Instead I live in static and daydreams Memories and faded photographs of a time when there was more It is these memories that informs my thirst If I had never known that water could be so cool and so sweet, maybe I wouldn't crave it so Instead, I will drink my tepid water as it is better than none And I will pray for rain -gws
Go With Love
I love you. Go upon your journey with that love as company in your heart. We have grown, and our paths have diverged. We didn't see it. We didn't plan it, but it happened at some point, between breaths, when neither of us were paying attention. We no longer see the world the same way. Time and personal experiences have distanced our paths. There was a fork in our road, and without knowing it, we, each, chose a different direction. By the time we looked back to realize we were no longer side by side, we had walked too far to double back to find each other again. We could only gaze across the distance, confused, and with quietly breaking hearts, wave goodbye and continue forward with a dull ache in our breasts. I want you to know that I gathered up my love for you, and placed it in a space of honor on my heart's alter. We may no longer be close friends, but I never stopped loving you. I will never stop loving you. Your role in my life is undeniable, and I cherish it. I wish you all the happiness and love you can ever want. I pray life is kind to you. Whether or not not you feel the same toward me, or if I have faded quietly from your mind, may my love for you be stamped deep upon your heart. I hope it fills your cup whenever you need it, as memories of you fill mine. Above all, know I love you still. May the moss soften your steps. May the rain quench your thirst. May the sun shine its warmth upon you. May your table always have plenty. May you know as much joy as you desire. May you receive as much love as you share. May your life be rich in blessings and richer with joy. -gws
Be Where Your Feet Are
Be where your feet are. Take note of the air moving in and out of your lungs. Be still enough to hear the rhythmic ticking of the clock. These will tether you when you feel you are on unstable ground. And love. Share it. Receive it. Keep your heart open so you can recognize it. It will help hope stay afloat. -gws
Soul Cave
There is a place deep within me where I go when the world is too much In that place sounds are muffled Light is dimmed All of the harshness that is too overwhelming is dampened down and pushed away When I arrive in that place, I am already so weary and worn I'm struggling to breathe Struggling to cope Struggling to not give in to the crushing pressure of life No one can reach me there, not really In that dark and quiet place I am safe to process my feelings Safe to release the pressure valve on my emotions Safe to feel exactly what I feel without worry of judgment or contempt Sometimes I wish I could just stay there But I'm a mother and a wife and an employee The real world doesn't stop spinning Responsibilities do not stop needing attention Children do not stop needing guidance and love Husbands do not take leave of their expectations for what a wife should be doing Employers do not stop expecting you to show up and be productive So in that shelter I do my best to let go of what I can To surrender to the sorrows, the tears, the fears, the doubts, the broken dreams, the disappointments I let it all flow out like water into this grotto Hopefully to be cleansed And by releasing these things I pray to be renewed enough to keep going Even as my knees shake and my back aches and my voice quivers And the tears flow I pick myself up Straighten my battered crown Wipe the tear tracks from my cheeks And reapply the mask as I chant a prayer begging for serenity And step back into the bright, loud, ever demanding world again -gws
Gratitude in Uncertain Times
The world is scary and uncertain The unknown is casting a long, dark shadow on life as we understood it It feels like I'm tumbling in rough surf and I can barely catch my breath When things feel big, I need to make them smaller I can do this through gratitude I can reframe my circumstances from a place of grace over fear In a moment where loss and fear govern, I look to the blessings I see all around Like seedlings taking root in the dark, forgotten places Cancer proved to be a blessing It may have introduced it's own book of fears, but it also prevented someone I love from traveling at a time when many people were falling ill, and we had no recourses yet I feel this truth in my gut The Pandemic helped me access assistance that was previously off limits to me It has changed the way I work, making it easier to be available to my family while continuing to be employed and safe It has reminded me to say, "I love you," more To hug my children more To try to forgive and relinquish grievances To live as my authentic self To speak my truth To honor my own boundaries To take stock of what is good To "live life on life's terms" and know that my higher power will have my back To be gentle with myself when I don't live up to my own standards To appreciate my health To sit heavily in the present moment and appreciate all that is good instead of being busy for busy's sake To be able to shift energy from a grinding list of To-dos to what I am able to do in this moment, place, or circumstance It is so easy to fall into a deep despair There are so many reasons to feel hopeless But there are many more reasons to have hope and even to rejoice The world, life, the Universe has shaken us all up I choose to take it as a clarion call I will water the seedlings of positivity and remove the weeds of fear growing in my inner garden Through this effort, I will keep my feet and continue moving through life with gratitude and deep love -gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 