courage poems

Not Here, Not Now, Not Ever

A wretched parallel universe
Where bad is good,
Cruelty is celebrated,
Intolerance encouraged,
Subjugation relished,
Reason denigrated,
Facts irrelevant…
Humankind’s worst instincts
Belching forth from
Gaping craters of fear and
Hatred, scalding decency,
Promising more suffering
Until persons of courage
Stand up and shout:
Not here, not now, not ever.

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Through the Penumbra

Stop and think for a moment,
Abandon superfluous encumbrance.
Up the mountain, through the
Penumbra, clarity unobscured.

A dark smokestack belches filth
Into a resigned sky. Trudging,
Servile to instinct and unchecked
Impulse. Clear away the dust.

Anywhere You Want to Go

A glint in the distance,
Opportunities await
No matter how hard
Thing might seem
At this particular moment.
You have it in you to
Make anything happen,
Your path leading
Anywhere you want to go.

Show You

Tell me your secrets and
I’ll show you mine,
I keep them in a
Nondescript box
Hidden in the attic.

Hold me on your shoulders,
Maybe that way I’ll grow
Taller than I think I am.
Lift me higher than possible and
Let go as I take flight.

Her Voice

She tries to scream
But all that comes
Out is a whimper.

Her whole life
Has been about
Trying to get along.

She reaches
Deep inside and
Finds her voice.

A beautiful sound
Emerges, making
People uncomfortable.

Misunderstanding

For years and years I thought
I was a certain type of person and
It all came tumbling down one
Normal afternoon when I was
Struggling to do what I thought
I was supposed to do, fighting
Against the current instead of
Enjoying a carefree ride on a
Placid stream on a beautiful day.

All this time hoping I could will
My way into being someone else, a
Different person in the mirror
Bearing not even the most fleeting
Resemblance to me, a passing
Stranger, unsubstantial presence,
Easily scattered with a single gesture,
Moved by fragile strings of ego, fear,
A misunderstanding halted.

Doors

I used to have doors
They would barge in
Through and take away
Parts of who I was,
But I’ve closed them
For some time, much to
Their bewilderment.

Fold Neatly

Seeing them after so
Many years, it dawns
On her how different
She is now, not the
Same person that used
To be deeply enmeshed
In the intrigue and
Chaos, expected to
Get with the program
Without resistance,
Fold neatly
Into submissiveness.

No One Else Like You

There is no one else
Like you
In the entire world.
You’re precious,
Important.
Your presence matters,
The planet needs you,
Share who you are
Deep inside,
Everyone will benefit.