24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
Jana O’Dell is an author and poet from West Virginia. She has been diagnosed with several mental illnesses and uses writing to cope with daily struggles. Jana lives with her wife, their three children, and a host of fur babies. Jana O’Dell's independently published books that are all available on Amazon include: Cyanide Kisses: The works of a manic, bipolar, dissociative mind.--- My Secrets are in the Stardust--- Magic in the Madness. Published works she can be found in: Poetry Marathon Anthology 2019 and 2020. Upon Arrival Solitude. Best Poets of 2019 Vol 3.
Redacted:
She sat
Wondering
She realized
walking through the fire
Demons inside
losing the battle
Original:
As she sat thinking
Wondering what had all gone wrong
She realized
She was not the one walking through the fire
Her demons inside
Were the ones losing the battle
The moonbeam strikes down
As if it were chaos and secrets
Not knowing what hope it brings
Nor the torment it shines on-
Only hoping to be as bright as
The day is remembers it became whole
The web of life is a tricky thing
Intertwined with each person you pass
Even for a moment
Without realization you may become a key moment in their story
Yet always hoping the web never sees the wind
A book is nothing but paper printed on with ink
Yet whole new worlds live within
Transporting each reader into new dimensions
Setting them free from their stress
Their worries
Their fears
Their feeling of being “stuck”
The bull grazing on the grassy knoll
Enjoying the minutes of the day
Looking beyond its immediate location
Wondering what may come from walking to the other side
The cinnamon broom above my door
Deep in the Bayou where only crickets can hear
Boats tremor in the swampland
Insects who look like they are wearing beet colored jackets
The solitude creates my peace
The stars so bright
Shimmering like they know my inner dreams
Waiting to burst open and explode for the world to see
Barefoot and sun kissed
Swinging with the sunflowers
Hair blowing and birds chirping
Is where my heart belongs
Darkness craved us
The pit of endless nothing was calling our name
Do we jump?
The single chair in the middle of the room
Colorful flowers lay atop
A room unused for years
Abandoned and unloved
Yet someone chooses to feel it’s warm embrace