Sat in on my first poetry reading today.
Since college, that is.
Of course, I sat in the back.
Watching.
Learning.
Scared to death for all Poets.
Only fifteen of them.
The African American was phenomenal.
His deep voice calling me in.
As if saying, Audrey, join them.
Open mic, yes, it was time.
Nerves shot, don’t call for mine.
No one forced.
Each one took a turn.
Audrey clapped.
Audrey laughed.
Audrey shed her tears.
Silently.
Show them who you are, darling.
I whispered to myself.
My voice already shaking.
Lack of confidence, maybe.
But I’ll do anything in full view.
Play a part.
Smile my smile.
Sing a song.
Laugh til it drives you wild.
Share myself?
My poetry?
My soul?
Who I am?
Exactly.
I just couldn’t.
I didn’t.
Leaving again.
Unworthy.
Damn it!
Asides
Spinning Around You
You have me spinning again
I think you prefer me that way
Left reflecting
Over how my need continues
To grow, wild
Learning promotes the dance
This, I know
I store pieces away
Parts of you
Constructing an image
You’ll never live up to, tis true
I’m prepared
For disappointment
Yet, I’ve decided,
I like you
My Sun
The brightest star
Welcome
Surround me
Consume me with you glow
Beat down and invade
I feel your rays
Keeping me warm
I could get used to spinning around you
It comes quite naturally, too
I think you’ll agree
Us, me, you, we
Living a fantastic dream
Rotating within your forces
Consumes me
Gathers speed
Controls my thoughts
Daily
Yellow Flowers
Hello
yellow petals
welcome me in
curves are slight
a simple delight
jagged tips I want to touch
perfected yellow pinwheel
straight lines
toned to stand just so
look at you
bright as the sun
amazing structure
you grow and grow
wild at heart
amidst the fields
I wouldn’t gather you
I’d leave you here
although
a perfect addition
for my red hair
placed through a knot
on hot summer days
oh, yellow flower
why are you so beautiful
placed boldly for me
am I jealous of you
or are my feelings
merely love
denying
the romantic
in me
Thank you, Paul (click on his name to see the pretty flowers) I appreciate the beautiful photo you shared, our new friendship, and then the encouragement to write a poem about your yellow flowers. However, thank you for following my posts, as well. Romania must be beautiful this time of year. Enjoy! (Sometimes our silent followers need a push to say hello. Ours was a rocky start, but I think you’ll see the humor if you read our conversation under the photo.) Happy Friday!
Please
Walk with me
Please
Force me to go slow
Please
Let’s go nowhere in particular
Please
Ask me how I am, now you can
Please
Wait for my brave answer
Please
Use your voice to comfort a poet
Please
Hold my hand, make me hold yours
Please
Point out life’s simplicities
Please
Prove to me they are worth my time
Please
Make me think, hard
Please
Tell me to stop worrying
Please
Remind me who is leading me
Please
Force me to look into your eyes
Please
Insist I be me
Please
Do What You Do
Just perform for me
Yeah, okay, pull the stocking cap down
Run your hand through your beard
Whatever it takes, prepare
Pretend I’m not here
Just sing the lyrics
Remind me
Show me how to feel
Prove you already know
Take the wheel
Just do what you do
Feelings already sorted, better than I
Direct the deep notes, in my favor
Allow me to bleed
Waiting for your music to soothe me
Just play the tune
Let me fall into you
Silence? No, it’ll kill me tonight
Slide your fingers over the strings
Quickly, even slower, bring me through
Just make me believe
This music will ease
Regret, pain and suffering
I should have never even tried
Kill me, like the beat, softly
Sparkling Eyes
You
A set of eyes
I may never see
I feel how they look at me
Sparkling full of humor, trustworthy
Do you know what you truly do
Sparkle
Twinkle
Bionic
How do sparkling eyes see so well
Into my heart
Understanding my mind
I’m an open book, apparently
Didn’t take you much time
Brown
Blue
Hazel
Green
Even grey like the clouds
We both have no problem visioning
Laugh a lot,
Smart eyes, sparkle some more
I could get lost in yours
Close them tight
Or let me kiss them
Good night
Amen
Come To Me
This poem was written awhile ago. Today I set it free:
I tried desperately
Visioning
You without me
Me without you
An unhappy ending
My one true act
Just to please you
It isn’t possible
Can’t you see
Screw all this suffering
My thoughts erratic
My pulse quickened
This heartbeat
Pounding
One touch
Exploding
Do you feel me
Man, I feel you
How can it be
Fate never failing
Always
Surprising me
If only I could show you
Come
Give me everything
Knowledge
Slow down dear heart
You have but one body
A single mind for consuming
What’s my rush
I can’t learn it all
~
Hearts beat rapidly
Bodies urge
A mind craving details
I want, I need, I believe
Striving towards excellence
~
Heart quickening
Hands shaking
Mind alive, perceiving
Are these three deceiving me
I may know nothing
~
Heart slows
Hands rest
Mind goes back to dreaming
Stopping myself
My own worst enemy
Sink Or Swim
Obstacles hinder
Destinations via water
Adrenaline rush
The fear of the unknown holds us all back. Why do we allow it to control our decisions and our goals? We nourish fear with our strength, day in and day out, choosing to help it grow to become more powerful. We sit quietly as it beats us down. Fear doesn’t exist. This we all know. Kick it in the balls. Get on with the show. Go for the gold. Let’s stop worrying that we’ll fail. Live life now and beg for forgiveness later. Fear can hunt someone else down now. We’re alive, so prove it.
Prompting Fear, because it thinks I won’t. This lady is brave. Thanks, DC.
Your Hands
A working man’s hands
You raised me, astounding
A vision of brokenness
Yet respect found us, thankfully
Father, years of mending misgivings
Holding hands, you love me
Unconditionally
~
A working man’s hands
A brother to me, oldest sibling
Strong, brave, forever loving
Growing up, you fixed our needs
Hearts, cars, music, dreams
Your hands beside me, waiting
Unconditionally
~
A working man’s hands
Found you, awakening my dreams
Outstanding similarities, just breathe
Waiting patiently, my journey
Imagining and releasing all fears
Your hands, I’m offering them peace
Unconditionally
Unknown
Unknown
Your chance, I’m offering
Break me
Trust me
Save me
Or return the keys
Release what weakens me
Life full of lies
Until we share completely
Moving forward
Get to know me
Fears
Hopes
Pressures
Consuming
What is left
Advancing will soothe
Promising
Simply
I can’t compete with time
I can’t compete with journeys
I can’t compete with photographs
I can’t compete with wordings
I can’t compete with holigraphs
I can’t compete with simple rhymes
I can’t compete with that which drives
~
I simply want to live in our world
I simply want to breath the air
I simply want to feel your stare
I simply want to matter, above all
I simply want to allow myself to fall
~
I don’t need your hands
I don’t need your eyes
I don’t need your pleasure
I don’t need your lies
I don’t need your love
I don’t need your number
I don’t need your covers
~
I do need your thoughts shared
I do need your emotions to lap deeply
I do need your mind weakening me
I do need your cravings
I do need
Love’s Umbrella
Protective covering,
Found under an umbrella.
Cloaking two people,
A lady and a fella.
Lost within a street full;
Barely a notice;
Eyes for each other,
Devoted focus.
Approaching quickly,
My eyes shy.
This is their time,
Watch them pass by.
Hear their exclusive music,
Linger in my mind.
Notes float up,
My heart aches for you and I.
Their eyes connected;
Not a wink or a blink,
Allowed for isolation.
Desire,
Love’s obsession.
Trying not to stare:
How do we get there?
Anger
I grew up taking care
soothing pains
of those who suffered.
Who taught me?
Two sisters, brother,
mother and a father.
~
Oldest Daughter
fights for all.
Redheaded sister
hugs when they fall.
~
Don’t tell me
I’m vain,
Superficial;
or bloody insane.
~
The poetry
I write
is of happiness,
often healing me
at the end
of my day.
~
I tend to
women’s tears,
when there’s no
money for simplicities.
~
I feed children
with no lunches,
after mothers
have forgotten.
~
I fix worn out clothes,
even when I don’t know how.
~
Trust me, these people
I know;
live in my heart.
~
I’m not
what your
eyes see,
my poetry,
an escape for me.
~
I write of love
hoping to create it
for all those who
are denied.
~
Yes, I admit, it helps me too.
~
Am I confident?
~
Yes, I cannot help
this part of me.
~
Take it or leave it.
~
Maybe, just let me be me.
~
I know suffering
I feel it everyday
humanity is
my sibling,
my child,
my sister,
my friend,
my brother,
and my end.
~
I will go to my grave
trying to save them all.
I’m allowing you
to catch me when I fall.
Look me in the eye
when you’re looking
for a fight.
~
This girl will react.
~
I just might…
My Morning
Woke up
My fingers trailing
Softest of spots
Too early for a lullaby
A surprise in my dream
I heard you singing
My favorite song
To the beat of my breathing
In and out goes breath
A woman’s body
Ample place to fall
Finger tips like feathers
Upon my fair skin
Submitting
Blushing
This pleases you
Wishing
Water
Water, excitedly rushing down
Thank you for cleansing
Not the rocks, but me
Cooling sprinkles of your touch
My skin reacts
Goosebumps
Dreaming of the summer heat
Providing me a sweet dream
You laying over me
Drifting in imagery
In the waves and out again
Clearing our minds of everything
The greenest of palm leaves
Nourished
I wear them proudly
Dancing on the beach
You and me
Hearts beating
We listen to the drummers
Drumming
All for us
Water nearby beckons again
Proud to wash your pain away
This moment
This dream
I’m here to stay
Fantasizing
Creating our reality
Can I live with today’s fate
Just me and a waterfall
Pretty In Pink
Three
I named them
You
Me
We
Living in green
Spring has arrived
See how we wait
Pretty in pink
Glowing
Against Heaven’s hues
A mighty fine trilogy
I whispered to the fairies
They’re coming
Listen closely
Drums beat
Humbly
In the moment
I do see
You watching over me
Your strength provides,
a protective covering
I sense your love
Devotion reciprocated
A walk by the ocean,
a place to permeate
Love witnessed
Love believed
My need
Your mind
My love
Your heart
All intercedes
Humbly,
come back to me
Shades Of You
Like a soft breeze
Tonight you arrived
Willingly
Feeling you
All majestic
Exhaling with relief
Agreed
You have the ability
Yes, to surprise
Violence to such a degree
Shades of you
Not a picture of love
Most importantly
It scared me
Point proven
Shaken
Yet, not moving away
Onward movement
Like a dream
You opened your soul
A beautiful piece
It was a pleasure to see
Thank you
A better understanding
Oldest Daughter & Red Headed Sister 