This is another new poem.
off kilter
at an angle to the world
i clutch the wall
like i’m hanging from a cliff
as if that grip
is the only thing that can save me
i spin
standing still
the world rock solid
and me in motion
internally
Category: Poetry
the river (poem)
Another new poem.
the river is high this morning
solitary birds flap above
waves wrinkle the surface
bottles bob like ducks in the current
surf crashes against the embankment steps
low clouds block out the sun
promising rain
on a dingy winter morning
crossing the bridge
© bardofupton 2019
A new poem
My poetry streak continues…
socialised into obedience
i dream of being bad
of running wild through the night
setting fire to cars
but i don’t
because property damage is wrong
or so i’ve been told
© bardofupton 2019
A new poem
This is another new poem.
things bubble up
like sharks from an oil spill
sudden and savage and shocking
emotions surprising me
so that’s how i feel!
i wish i could tell in advance
and not be ambushed by feeling
every. single. time.
© bardofupton 2019
scars (poem)
This is a new poem.
my scars are the map of my life
my history written in my body
each mark a story a step a stumble
each bruised or broken place a memory
a memorial in flesh
a walking history
traceable by fingers
visible on x-rays
my uniqueness stamped on skin and bones
i read myself in the mirror
the book of my self decoded
my secrets laid out for my eyes to see
a palimpsest of my journey
the map that marks the territory of my existence
i close my eyes and read my story by touch
feel my history under my skin
decode my past
i remember my yesterdays
what I’ve survived
and i feel strong
alive and present
© bardofupton 2019
Another new poem
This is yet another new poem.
you stole my words
my voice
my language
and i hate you for that
more than for what you did to me
because my words are all i have
you ripped out my tongue
ground it beneath your feet
and it took me seven years to regrow it
but the new tongue is never the same as the old
never as fluent
sometimes it forgets how to speak
and so you silence me still
half a lifetime away
i screamed inside for years
but couldn’t be heard
i still can’t scream out loud
my tongue can’t bear it
but at least i can speak my truth
my new tongue can do that much
and that is enough
© bardofupton 2019
A new poem
This is another new poem.
your words fall upon me
like a thunderbolt from the sky
the air crashing together behind the strike of your speech
every word another stone on my shoulders
weighing me down
with your rage and grief
passing your pain
to me
so you can walk away
relieved
as i stagger on
under your burden
