Hour 2 CHARGING A BEAR
What makes a guy
Go charging down
A hill at an
Innocent bear
It’s not the bear
Out on the hill
No it’s the one
Up in his throat
Gently
Everyone “fights”
We fight for what we think we deserve.
And when we go through a hard time
we are told diligently to
“Fight through it”
Why must we always fight?
Why is this word so entwined with
hatred, anger, even violence,
society’s go-to in times of trouble?
I am not a “fighter”
I am a talker, a listener, a reasoner,
I won’t fight, or force, or aggravate.
I want to learn, and heal
and approach the world with
the love that it seems
So quickly
to be losing sight of
When I’m ill, I don’t “fight” the illness.
I rest and take time to heal.
When I’m depressed,
I don’t argue with my mind,
I’m hurting enough already,
I refuse to hurt myself
On a bad day, I don’t “fight through it”
because that sounds like a lot of work
and I’m already so tired.
lighter than air
Green brushes against blue
The fluttering of our wings
matches the pace of our hearts.
Sitting on the highest branch
Of the tallest tree
I could see for miles all around,
but all I see is you.
I slip my hand into yours
And pretend not to see the blush
On your handsome face.
A bird perches
And eyes us curiously.
You whistle at it and laugh
When the startled bird flies of into the moors.
Morning
First you awaken.
The day paints its hope on you
on the heart’s canvas.
Jennifer Pratt-Walter
6/22/2019
Dreams
He tried not to disturb her sleep from mountains and rivers away
so he didn’t call
but she heard him anyway.
in a dream…
He wanted a kiss but didn’t press
so she called him
time makes no difference
hearts know no distance
and magic is only a breath away
The Whispering Kiss (Hour 1)
You walked in like a whisper,
like fireflies in the day, until the sun set without warning.
And I suddenly saw all that could be
in a world that I wish was meant for me.
Some punches to the gut can’t be cheated.
The truth, a wall I ran straight through,
only to see you.
Your face behind a moving screen of water,
like seeing a memory from another life that should be.
Our breath so easy, laughter so light,
your hand in mine, a natural fit.
You’re the golden hour of every day,
light raining down in showers of amber warmth.
We were drawn together years ago,
but I didn’t realize it until too late.
My guard held true, so I could protect you, too.
I see your face every day, within the abyss of dreams and thoughts.
In another life, perhaps we are a reality.
Paths diverge and paths are made straight.
If time had been different, perhaps our paths would’ve become one.
Time has made its decision; we weren’t meant to be.
A fiery cloak wrapped around my heart, bidding you adieu.
Sending you a whispering kiss as you say, I do.
Shoulders Back
Shoulders back, chin out, neck long.
Breasts out shouting to the world,
“I am here. Look at me!”
Long neck highlighting a feminine jaw and cheekbones
So instead,
Shoulders hunched and chin down.
Breasts hidden among the folds of fabric,
“I’m hiding. Shhh.”
Neck hunched over. Eyes looking at the ground.
But men do not walk like that,
So instead,
Shoulders back, chin out, neck long.
Tests
Life is a test from start to finish
from the day you are born
to the final flourish
how long is the baby
how much does it weigh
in what percentile does it lay
This is the start
it does not end
the years go by
new tests append
when do you speak
when do you walk
do you do more than squawk
In school there are many
that you will take
they tell your teachers
what progress you make
and each test you take
adds another post to the fence you make
We all build a fence
a fence that defines
the person we make
with all the tests we leave in our wake
It doesn’t stop when we are an adult
each person we meet tests us, and we they
yes, it is true don’t you see
we test and test and are never free
we test for friends, and jobs, and love
we look for things that fit like a glove
And when old age approaches us
the tests foresees what our freedom be
the blood test the heart test, how many tests there are
each test may lead to your final cigar
Yes, tests follow us throughout our lives
from birth to death whether we want or not
tests guide us or fence us and fill us with doubt
and sometimes provide up with clout
whatever the case you will see
that tests never end till the end of thee.
TWO
When I was two, I learned to read,
In my hands, I always carried a book.
I remember the words, “Growing like a weed”
Even though my mother was an awful cook.
I spent weeks in the hospital, unexplainably sick
Till they found I was allergic to milk.
So the things I ate weren’t for me to pick,
No dairy, no cheese, no ice cream or that ilk.
I must have been happy, I don’t recall bad
My Mema loved and spoiled me
I don’t remember even seeing my Dad,
What’s to be, they say will be.
My mother took me to a doctor because she said I read too much.
He told her to let me be, it was she who was out of touch.
Poem #2
Endless Dreams
On a star-filled night
Countless times
I failed to count
Mesmerized
In awe of their beauty
Their warmth
I could feel from
Millions of light-years ago
Safe distance, I must say
Admirable but I wouldn’t
Want to burn so.