The Poetry Marathon

The “Big Black Dog”
Churchill coined depression
I’m no stranger to that Dog
That slowly slinks in with bite—
The Dog is in for another visit
Dimming light
Pushing me into the abyss
A void that doesn’t last;
As how can darkness be forever?
Beloved Creator, always there
Showing me hope
With heart rocks
To guide the way
Uncovering a life
Up from the abyss
I emerge with giggles and delight
My path is lighter without the heaviness
No more exhaustion
Now no longer blindly falling into the abyss
Emerging
A Joyful mouth
Pregnant with a smile
Thankful for restored light

You will always be my baby girl;
I sit in the audience and watch
you walk Proudly
across the stage;
Towards the fifth grade diploma
That now sets you apart from the little ones;
Your hands reach for the certificate
Your shy smile but proud
No longer a husky
No more Pleasant Hill
Onwards to a coyote and many years to come:
And this reminds me of an ending of a beginning;
Kindergarten
Your yellow baby chick hair
Held back by your favorite headband;
You know, the one with the tropical flower?
You wore your cupcake sprinkled dress;
Your blonde hair like mine as we lean towards each other
And our crowns touch;
You have since grown, My Little Miracle;
Pink hair yesterday
Blue hair today
There will be a time for the big graduation
That high school diploma,
The first key on the ring to open many doors to come;
And I always wonder if on graduation night if you’ll
Ask for Twinkle Star
That night, as I embrace you and hold you tight.

Combat soldiers
Drive Syrians into a refugee camp
One visits and encounters a trauma
Dreams of the Congo or in a jungle.

She walks on velvet moss below her feet
Balancing and gingerly watching her footing
In the meadow ahead
Through the ancient oaks draped in moss
Like curtains shielding grand windows
Lies a solid rock
An inviting place to sit
She places her feet one in front of the other
Toes damp with leaves stuck on bottom
Light breeze giving the leaves something to whisper about
Ahead, a large purple crystal
Topped by fairytale fairies
Summoning her to the entrance leading to the
Underworld
Below the canopy of trees
She shivers with the breeze

Moon Cat
Strides through the city
Came across Ally Cat
Moon Cat purred and flipped his tail
In a question mark
Ally Cat
Licked her lips
Having had a nibble of tuna fish
Moon Cat smelled her breath
And hissed with jealousy
Ally Cat flipped her tail
And walked away

Firefly
Zoom
at tree line
Avoiding the heat
Of the bottle

👋 💕 🏳️ ❤️
(Hi Love, surrender the heart)

Liberation from libation
Sans ale suds
Sans upper and downer
No more dry mouth
No more headache
No more insatiable need for ‘more’
This is granted
For those whom choose sobriety
You’re either in or out
Saved by God’s Grace

Dear Amy three years ago,

Lost in an abyss with an undertow
Drinking didn’t work
Smoking mj didn’t work
The drugs didn’t work
What was there left to do?

So proud of you making that call
Finding God in California
But then a breakdown
A work intrusion
Tunneled vision
Didn’t know you could go back
To old playgrounds and play friends

Bipolar depression out of control
Anxious to continue life
Literally felt as if you could jump through your skin
Discharged
Sober
Sober for a few weeks
Then broken, off again

Feeling nothing through the summer,
Didn’t care if you lived or died
Approaching summer’s end
A call to a last resort place

A month at Starlite
A forever sobriety date,
It works if you work it
One day at a time.

Obtained clarity
But still had far to climb
Weekly sessions to breakdown
And excavate the past
Identified original wound

Worked with repair
Sometimes with God’s help when remembering to surrender
Lessons of
Trust
Faith
Courage
Integrity

Now three years later
Lessons of
Joy and Grace

It works if you work it
And you’re entirely worth it.

Filtered light rays dancing on my eye lids
Scent of cinnamon in the air
Warmth surrounds me
Kick to the side a cool spot like a bubbling spring
Coffee to shake me awake
Silence
Empty room
Empty mind
Sans noise
Sans sight
Energy bursts through the room flittering the curtains
Like butterfly wings