24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
Deborah "D Squared” Dalton is a poet/spoken word artist, domestic and sexual abuse advocate and survivor, currently seeking to poetically share the divine revelations gained while engaged in worship, study, and prayer. She was born in St. Albans, Queens, New York. Being brought up in a military family, she had the opportunity to be raised all over the world. While enrolled in a pre-engineering program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. While enrolled, she was an active member of the John McLinn Ross Players and performed in the following plays: The River Niger (Wilhelmina Brown) , Tobacco Road (Ada Lester) , Othello (Desdemona) , A Raisin in the Sun (Beneatha Younger) , Aladdin's Lamp (Mother) , Fences (Rose Maxson) , and The Shadow Box (Beverly) . She received an Irene Ryan Acting Award Nomination and an Acting Achievement Award in the Southwest Collegian Regional Competition. She has written several books of poetry, and currently wrapping up a project titled “Life After the Resurrection: A journey of Spiritual Discovery”. She received her degree in Mechanical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. After working for 15+ years in the construction industry in various project management and design functions, she decided to commit full-time to her calling to engage in ministry.
The struggle to
retrieve
Something
from a child’s hand
That vice grip
has superhuman strength
with razor thin
fingernails
that cut
as you life a finger at a
time
snapping back in place
until moments
pass to
inspire surrender
even though there is danger
so you don’t give up
residing deep in the places
Where darkness feels
at home
a peace hovers like
the early morning fog
on a humid day
after a nights thunderstorm
the moist thick air
clings and coats
And grabs you
whole
a barrier to things
other than calm
Dripping with certainty
like death
and rotting flesh
in the dessert sun
stripping to the
bones
bleached white
it is done
seconds noticed as hours
swimming lengths of oceans with one stroke
immersing between the wispy fronds of a feather
coasting on the arcs of sound waves
undulating slowly
on the path of a never-ending rollercoaster
investigating every nuance of an emotion
with a magnifying glass
increasing its impact
being careful not to bring the sunlight
to ignite and destroy
tasting to analyze the exact measurements
of this meal
recipe expertly crafted
by its maker
to savor
steady breaths
fulfilling
quieted sounds
calming
captured thoughts
resolving
body sensations
soothing
collectively
enveloping my being with peace
In conclusion
I release
shed
remove
dispose and cleanse
Bring out the sage and burn it in each room
rinse off the crystal and wrap it in silk
remove this filth
of the past
cut the lock, dreads, or curls
shave the head
clear out the closet of left-behind threads
if we could only burn the bed
delete and block
unfriend
drop the weight
like lead
they are now ghosts
the walking dead
Uncorked
releasing
flavor into
its space
molecularly
knitting cherries
chocolate
and
oaks
from casks
nailing its points
awarded
and poured with
intention
into my
wine glass
Fresh on the showroom
Love at first sight
red and elevated leather
looking so beautifully tight
matches my wardrobe
This outfit will delight
suited with budget
turning maybe to might
Back room search ensues
the size and fit are right
standing tall and regal
matching to his height
boxed up with satisfaction
to the register all polite
Headed home for preparations
ready for a glorious night
Working limits
between
lines
yours and mine
reducing the contrast
to blur our
greys
measuring words
for holistic balance
beams of
dual realities
teetering on brinks
ledges to cliffs too steep
but needed
doling out portions
controlled
lovingly
a struggle
real
towards
life-affirming
boundaries
a spark
of a new piece
entered
and zoomed past
as I drifted to a nap
and dreamt of
searching for water glasses
and sampling
gourmet food
and the
Kmart food court
that original thought
must have be great
cause my
alternate universe
counter creative
through
was epic
nonsense
History
repeats
and eats its own
tail
If not feed
a new
diet of
hope
and redemption