We bloom together
Or we are lost
Forever
Gathered Together
Author: Wendy Kheiry
Protected: Upside Down
On Remote Location. Back Soon
I’ve been caretaking a property, so apologies for the lack of regular posts.
Am rethinking how I use this space as well…might make it more of a weekly endeavor rather than shooting for daily.
I played open mics 5/7 days – hit all of the ones in town, so that was fun.
I’ve been out in the wilderness surrounded by plants, pets, and wildlife. It’s been rejuvenating as well as work. 🙂
Heart Returned to Sender
My heart returned last night
From adventures far and wide
A little sheepish
A little quiet
A little battered from the journey
A little rougher than I’d like
So, I set it on the stage with me
Poured love into the mic
Watched it grow and heal beneath
The cozy, kind bar lights
All the worries
All the fears
All the longing that I feel
For a connection deep and true
Transformed by chord and key
Unlocking every fetter
Chaining you to me
I sing away the blues
I’m lost within the music now
My heart is home and healthy
Sound
Giving thanks and gratitude
For every song I drew
From all the love I won and lost
For all the mysteries uncovered
For every dream come true
We’re getting ready for the next dream
Recovery and rest
My heart is home again now
Returned to sender from the best
I could imagine
Whether truth or lie
Love is never ending
Friend
Love never dies
Battles
The Warrior and the Fool
Stand face to face
Fool red faced and screaming
Warrior stands still
One hand on the weapon
Fool waving arms blustering
Rage rage rage
Draws weapon raving waving
Telegraphing every movement
Warrior draws
Knees slightly bent
Watching waiting
Fool is rushing swinging wringing
Metal upon metal
Fool wearies with ill timed attacks
Warrior deflects, defends, conserves
Fool attacks clumsy and fatigued
With a single strike
Warrior scores fatally
Nothing changes
Warrior remains steady
Weapon cleaned and sheathed
Unhurried
Implacable
Waiting for another warrior
To offer a challenge
Worthy
Hurdles
Some days there are echoes
Telling me to be quiet
Threatening anyone who could help me
Should I be foolish enough to ask
The nightmares lasted for years
Can you sleep with them dying
Night after night
No end
Gone are all you loved
Your fault always your fault
Selfish because you asked them
To rescue you
In the dream he always found you
Stopped you
They died but he left you alive
Always the one survivor
To face alone another day
Until you escaped
Outlived him
The world roils trying to expel those like him
A different world intolerant of wrongs done
To the innocent
Perform!
The world begs for a performance
Judges the performance performative
Punitively reprimanding
Demanding
Here I am quiet
Silent silence slinking slipping
Support in the dark
A touch here
A lift there
Carefully so as not to draw
The wrong sort of attention
Just in case
There’s an unseen danger
Can I sing of wrongs and rights
Can I tell a story of terror and light
How bad was it
Reflects off of the cavern of disbelief
Would I shake at night
Refuse to close my eyes in case my life
Was a dream
And if I awoke back then instead of now
And had to do it again
Over and over
Might I refuse to close my eyes
Stave off drowsiness and sleep
I can’t go back and live again
Can I
Could I
Survive it twice and three times or more
Every time my thoughts touch the memory
A little less pain
Can I speak then of yew berries and cedar chips
How the maple tree held me in its arms while I read
There among the branches invisible to all
If I am silent shout at me to speak
I will disappear as well
I have been a shadow for so long in hiding
That the light can hurt
Hot bright touch to the skin long shielded
I can disappear in plain sight
I can crawl away
Turn sideways and you will forget I was ever there
I take the stage and sing now
Will I trip on the way down or on the way up
Falling always to the ground
Ready to run
Skittish legs and darting eyes
Know all the exits and obstacles between me and them
Who hears me in the night screaming but gods and angels and goddesses
Who withheld and withheld and withheld
While I burned in hell glowing white hot with rage and sorrow and pain
I long for the warm fire of love
A touch of tenderness and vitality
An ember of hope
And a voice that does no harm
Either from silence or sound
I evaluate every note
Carefully
Who Fell First
Memory is tricky
Fading tricks of light
Remembering what we thought we knew
Obscure
Slightly askew
Summer days of honey
Golden light and blue blue skies
Buzzing bees o’er fields of clover
Thunderstorms blew up from the past
Roiling clouds come rolling in from distant places
Pink heat lighting flickers long before the booming sounds
A charge is in the air
The temperature is dropping
Darkening sky and quickening heart
We were just fourteen when all time stopped
A crack of lighting lashed the sky
Large slow drops began to hit the warm concrete
Sidewalks curbs and suburban streets
Manicured grass soft to barefeet
Low rumblings growing closer
The light then sound and count it out
How far the storm we wonder
Every minute stronger power
We mark the moment that all changes
From comfortable skin to something new
A glance
A brush of bare arms
We are crackling like lightning
Our hearts are thunderous
Treacherous beasts
At the loudest sudden sound we shudder
Laughing just a beat too late
The sky is fissured
Cracked by light and split by sound
Here comes the rain now pouring down
We run out in the wind arms wide
We spin in storms outside of time
Tumble together in the sodden grass
We laugh with gods and goddesses
We made it here at last
This refuge from the past
Collapsed
I guess it never mattered
Who fell first
We help each other up
The storm has left a promise
We collect it every day
Every breath
Every beat of passion
Every gentle glance of love
We walk away still holding hands
The path calling us home awaits
Together
My heart and I
Safe and untroubled
Surrounded by love
Giving back to a world
Carefully looking for all that’s good
Mindful of those who twist and squirm
Truth and purity and sell shadows as light
We glow brighter
Every minute
Together
Celebration
We sing off key
a tuneless melody
joyous
outrageous happiness
Shouting affirmations to the sky
We dance without rhythm or care
We are free
Alive
All around us vibrant blooms are charming
The trees lift their branches over our heads
We twirl beneath the stars and the clouds and the strawberry moon
No one can steal this moment
In the wild forest growing
A melody begins from chaos
Keys unlock hidden doors
Wide open hearts
Roll down hills laughing
Without regrets
A divine celebration
As the sun rises
Whole and shining in the blue blue sky
