Day 183: “New Leaf”
Staring out the window
On a long ride
Wondering about the future
Wondering when it’s time
Tired
Beaten down
When is it time
To get out of town
To drive away
Start another
Start again
Leave it all behind
Riding steady
Build the life I want
Brick by brick
Open up
Turn the page
Write a new chapter
Begin again
I guess I don’t have to wait
Day 182: “Thinker”
Sometimes you have to look at it from the outside
Ask for help
Travel around the edges of the problem
Searching for a crack,
A crevice,
You can sneak through
Sometimes consulting someone else
Is enough to spot the space
Where you can shimmy in
And make a change
And sometimes
It’s even easier than you thought
Day 181: “Creative Process”
I feel it
Tingling
I have an idea
I’ll sit with it
I’ll think
I’ll think
And I’ll think
And I’ll think
Then I might write something down
The remnants
The outskirts
Of the idea
Nothing fully developed
Not committing
Not wedded to anything
Not far enough to know if it sucks
Or if it’s brilliant
I’ll live in that space
The in-between
Just starting to form the ball
Kneading it
And kneading it
Until it’s overworked
Cracked and dry
Then I’ll stop thinking
Move on
Never even turning the oven on
Until another idea wriggles itself free
And into my line of sight
Day 180: “Harness the Moon”
Harness the moon
Sit with its brilliance, depth, beauty
Admire the sky
Lighting up the deep blue
Memorize the craters
The bright spots too
Harness the moon
Its quiet power
The way it glows
Ebbs and flows
Sit under the stars
Melt in the embers
Close your eyes
And absorb the lunar splendor
Day 179: “Writer’s Block”
You can’t force it
Can’t squeeze it dry
Can’t plead and beg and cry
If it’s just not coming,
Let it be
Poetry flows best when it’s dying to break free
Day 178: “Lighting Up”
I aspire to light up
Often
To be so excited about what I’m talking about
That it’s visible to everyone in the room
To be unapologetic
Elated
At the thought of something I love
However minuscule it might seem to others
It lifts up my cells
Brightens my smile
Helps me stand taller
Be louder
Shining
You’ve seen it
You’ve felt it
When someone is so passionate
Happy
When you’re so passionate
Happy
Let’s devote ourselves to the shine
Day 177: “Spell for Summer”
With this poem
I call upon
The cool, misty air
To stay with me
Keep me cool
Blue
Protected
From the heat
The pain of summer
The red splotches
Sweat trickling
Overheating
I keep the cool
Calming air
In my pocket
And can pull it out
Whenever the sun is at its highest
Day 176: “Lessons From Mom”
How to be open
Welcoming
Giving
Kind
Smart
Empathetic
Caring
How to smile
Laugh
Give great hugs
Say ‘I love you’
How to be brave
Confident
Strong
Proud
How to make friends
Smile at strangers
Talk to people
How to release
Feel
Surrender
How to be there
For others
For myself
How to grow
Learn
Evolve
Day 175: “You Can Set You Free”
Knowing yourself
Gives you freedom
If you truly know who you are
What makes you happy
Where you feel most aligned
Then judgment means nothing
You don’t believe the negativity
Because it simply isn’t true
To you
You don’t take on anything that dims you
You don’t accept the shame others try to give you
It’s not easy though
But spending time with yourself
Paying attention to what makes you feel incredible
Alive
Centered
That’s the makings of an authentic you
You want to be unapologetically yourself
You want to be unashamed
Then get to know yourself
And do what makes you happy
Watch what holds you back fall away
And rise as the most you you there is
Day 174: “Never Leave”
Even without her
She’s still teaching me
Helping me
to learn to be alone
be with myself
To enjoy the stillness
And quiet
To get to know myself
She’s not physically here
But her love is still teaching me
To love me
Faking It Made 