War Paint

I have worn my tear stains like war paint
The flush of agony, despair, and rage, too
I have unleashed keening so potent 
The gods stopped to answer
With a path to deliverance 

-gws

Rather

Even in the deepest darkness 
You will not reach for the light 
You would rather drown in your pride
Than consider you may not be right

-gws

Accomplishment

Some days
Getting out of bed
Putting on my adulting pants and
Mechanically doing what needs to be done 
Is an accomplishment 

-gws

Tinsel

Among my dark tresses
Magic is sprouting
So many threads of silver tinsel
Adorning my head like glittering filaments 
Filling my hair with starlight

-gws

Unfolding

I used to try to force my day to unfold according to my will.
Now, I try to allow the will of the day to unfold me.

-gws

Scars

You gave me scars deep below my skin
So I keyed this poem into your car
A parting gift 
A reminder of the damage you've caused
Easier to repair than what you did to me

-gws

Bedtime Stories

Tranquil stories
Woven into a tapestry
Of sweet dreams and 
Hopeful musings

-gws

Ghost Story

The first time I saw a ghost
I was looking in a mirror
I didn't recognize
The eyes starting back at me

-gws

Bridges

Some bridges are better off burning
Leaving the past buried beneath ash and embers
Smoke drifting away from the devastation
Like fading memories

-gws

How to Woo a Poet

Crave deep and honest conversation
Sit with her
Like a blind man tracing her face
Run your curiosities
With careful deliberateness 
Across her mind
And allow her to do the same
Lean into the exchange
And let the world fall away
Spend the night in philosophical repose
So you may greet the dawn 
With your souls on fire
Make evenings like this a ritual
This will light a fire in her blood
This is how to woo a poet

-gws