The Cage

Inelegant and rough hewn
Invisible to all but me
Oppressive and injurious
This prison of grief and fear
Holds me fast
Arrested
The key to joy held tight in my hand
I wait for the guard to look away
So I can fly free

-gws

Redemption

Sometimes
The simple act of cleaning a toilet
Can feel like redemption 

-gws

Step Back

Everyone who has ever loved you
Have put their hands up and
Taken a step back
Now they are looking at me
Wondering if now is when
I will finally do the same

-gws

Rage Fire

The truth has lit a rage fire in my belly
Where there was guilt and pity
There is now a simple aching coal
Burning so hot it challenges the sun

-gws

The Rocky Path

I’m walking between worlds 
Both in a nightmare
And waking from one
Navigating the rocky path
One footfall at a time
Calling on my ancestors 
Those women who each
Did the same in their own way 
As I step out of darkness 
Into the healing light of freedom 

-gws

Burn

I sat in the flames as it all burned down
Trying to douse it with tears
But now I see things for what they are
And I step back to watch it burn

-gws

Offline

I regret to inform you
That the reality you subscribe to
Is currently offline 
As reality has no power switch 
There is no way to reset the system
Please accept my apologies 
For the extreme inconvenience
Such is the risk of sentient life
I never promised you life would be easy

-gws

Box of Postcards

I wrote you a box of postcards
I never sent
I could not set the stamp
In place
I could not address it 
To that space
You weren't there anyway
You never really were

-gws

Notes to Self

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity
Trust yourself
In the midst of chaos, find your calm
Embrace the unknown
Everyday is a second chance
Keep going 

-gws

Unintended Consequences

I tried to love you
In spite of yourself
I couldn’t know
That I’d forget
To love me
In the process

-gws