Poems of Ourselves

October 2023
free verse

We all are the poems of ourselves
So we must make space for missteps:
The imperfections that we get upset about
The hesitations and doubts that we sometimes regret
But above all
The recurring motifs never change—
The hope that keeps us moving
The love that binds us together
The courage that pushes us forward…

Every year life writes a different poem for us:
Sometimes we are quiet and alone,
Imagining the sky, the sea, the lakes, and the morning dew,
Pondering whether the vastness of the world
Can be epitomized in the subtle delights we feel.

Sometimes I talk to the flowers in front of my window
Telling stories of my childhood,
Finding companions in loneliness.

Sometimes I walk into the rain
To watch its watery fireworks
To feel the raindrops pattering on my arms
And watch the mud splatter.

Sometimes I am prudent,
Forcing my simple mind into narrow margins of choice,
While saving myself from the edge of life.

No matter the blemishes or luster,
They all make up the life that we live in.