A promised green garden withers to seed, Dried petals scattered on the barren ground. Silent anguish as the crimson rose bleeds, Grief carried on the wind without a sound.
Tears burn a path when hope has slipped away, Hot crystals sparking precious memories. The fragrance of the summer jasmine sway, The gentle rhythm of the crashing sea.
Now the nightingale sings a soothing tune, Spread your wings, set your restless spirit free. It’s time to soar beyond the crescent moon, For the universe is your destiny.
Somewhere beyond a million silver stars, Eternal rapture beckons from afar.
This poem is dedicated to my beloved grandchildren Posie and Hatcher, my sweet little Valentines! I sketched out the words to this Kyrielle Sonnet on the trip home from Florida last month, and I finally got around to putting the finishing touches on it today. It’s always so difficult to leave them after each trip, uncertain when I will see them next and knowing how much they will have changed. I dread saying goodbye, and it takes me a while to settle the emotions. For me, the best therapy for sadness is writing.
Dan and I saying goodbye to Posie and Hatcher!
I am also posting this to the Instagram group @hergrowthcollective. The topic for this week is “Love,” and just happened to fit with this poem. Love comes in many forms, but love for family is one of the strongest and enduring of all bonds. Everyone told me how special the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild is…. but until I experienced it, I had no idea! It is the greatest thing. My love for them is eternal, and it grows with each passing day. They fill my heart with the purest joy I have ever known.
Life has been so busy, and I’ve been a bit MIA from social media. A much-needed break, I guess. I worked about 20 hours of overtime the past couple of weeks. Fortunately, our busiest work month has passed, and my schedule should be getting back to normal. Whatever that is, lol!
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! xoxo Colleen
HEY!!!! Check this out on my new podcast on Spotify – dropping today!!!
Mood: Joyful Inspiration: “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder
Ashen gray clouds hang low to the ground a thick layer of fog rising like dense smoke infusing the atmosphere with its petulant moods.
All I see is alabaster sky. The moon has gone missing, the sun hidden in a sempiternal stretch of colorless stratus, dull like a bolt of sparkly silver tulle that has lost its shine.
And I am walking on broken clouds, knee deep in ambivalence, rain falling beneath my sodden feet to the barren earth far below me.
And I thought I heard the ocean siren call to me, with her song of hollow promises echoing against the crash of waves.
The seas have eluded me. The skies have betrayed me. The sun has ignored me. The moon has shunned me. The clouds have denounced me.
Where do I go now in this netherworld, in this endless purgatory? As twilight beckons, shades of indigo dissipate the broken clouds.
The crescent moon glides by with a shy smile and thin hopes, as a vagabond wind transports me home, an escalator to waiting distant stars.
This idea for this poem was sparked in the Atlanta airport on a recent trip to Florida. As we were walking through the terminal to make our connection, the current weather board sign caught my eye. It simply stated, “Broken Clouds,” and I immediately knew I would write about it. It stuck with me as I scribble scrabbled some words, listening to mood music on our final flight to Florida. It was very cloudy, foggy with a bit of rain and yes…. broken clouds everywhere.
Then this stayed dormant in my notebook due to work commitments, until I finalized it last night. It morphed into this mood piece, after two rainy, gloomy winter days of editing.
Funny how the writing process can be. It’s been a while since I wrote consistently due to travel, holidays and work. I feel out of practice and intend to get back into my weekly writing routine. It is a form of therapy, and I sure do miss it when I can’t find the time to write! Stay warm, everyone.
xoxo Colleen
Mood: Cloudy Inspiration: “River of Rain” by Jami Sieber
Colleen Keller Breuning 