Cracked

clouds of grey

slide by

    slowly

giving way to hope

twisted and tight

a heart stops to breathe

     alone

in the summer sun

exhaling deep

yesterday is gone

    quietly

as the light sparkles

awash in mountain streams

your tears run with mine

    cleansed

as a new pace welcomes the next chapter

happy and sad

and back again

    believing   

that mountains mourn as we heal

pastel
by jessyca lyn katz

Shadowed Memories

there is madness in this box I find myself

placed by days that come to us all

some constraints are self imposed

but no less hard to break

travelling without regret

will take some time

empty rooms line every hall

shadowed memories gathering dust

some books are read by just one

pages that now are missing

once held words

forever locked inside the wandering heart

Hold On

does my fear

push you away

does the ache in my heart

leave you no space

do the shards at my feet

have you cautious of your step

remember when

your love was strong

passion at the wheel

no governor on your heart

not reckless

but stepping through yesterday’s chains

true remains my love

but the path is winding

and my mind is full

I stumble

I may fall

the pace is slowed


Pages Torn Out

if time’s hands move at a constant pace

what explains this bumpy ride

some days take eternities to arrive

hauling butterflies of anticipation

stirring giddy images

other days do not knock upon arrival

spinning me round

knocking me down

this day lurks in its approach

in the space of missing pages

recalling a struggle endured

a valiant battle with an inevitable end

its arrival is flanked

by memories dark and light

spirit carried by children

and abounding love from the many touched by a beautiful soul

I don’t want to run

but sometimes I hide

the growth that rides with time

feels stunted late in May

to defend against the steady ache

is a look inside to what’s been learned

hurt remains

but moving on is the only way

Moving Stone

words in the wind

sound like tangled chords

open space

allowing bloom towards freedom

mindlessly forward

wheels in tandem

rolling in love

darting oncoming traffic

no brake lights

swimming

inside an anxious current

a kiss

unlocking rusted gates

that guarded barren fields

Unclaimed

outside and afraid

searching for something

a connection not made

once beating with exuberant pace

a heart tripping with passion

be patient, it’s not that type of race

heading towards light

emerging from darkness

heavy and daunting, gather your might

a train pushing on, stuck on the rails

the brakeman says no

I only chart the rails


A Drifting Pace

you are a poem

amidst words on a page

you are a smile

resting upon pursed lips

your eyes tell stories

I want to read

there is a script to this play

are we actors

are we writers

a part of me

with you

always

after rain
photo: i. perlman

As the Willow

this is not a yarn being spun

there is something in the fore

demanding attention

what is received

when it is received

life’s timing remains unwritten

expecting nothing

yet ready for anything

confidently silent

bending with harsh winds

harnessing all it can

holding grace with strength

tenacious and remarkable

are roots built from time

simply anchoring all that hangs above the water

all is well when you cannot look into the eyes

the space we hide from the light

often holds the key

hanging heart
medium: clay
created by jessyca lyn

Roll Easy

a hill now stands where once it was flat

biting winds blow strong

no matter the direction I’m faced

please don’t steal the light was my plea

but pieces were already gone

never to be replaced

it was a long way to get to you

the clock has lost its hands

I’m feeling tired

and not quite sure I know how to leave

staring down lost love

hoping to be inspired

dreams hold songs of where I’ve been

sadness grips my hand

if the tune feels blind when I wake

black birds on the wire continue singing

calling broken hearts

but telling me to stay will not change fate

shadows cut the angles down to size

making it easier to miss the pain

my head is spinning with little left inside

an empty space stirred love all around

people kept dropping by

I could not find a place to hide

travelling on with both feet on the gas

afraid of what’s behind me

I’m left gripping the wheel

a penciled map has me heading forward

but I’ve lost some control

still unsure of what I feel

the journey takes time

set at square one

from unbroken youth

with courses uncharted

questions abound

the heart should always hold the truth