Winter always reminds her
of the fragility of loneliness
It sweeps in on the wings
of birds that have the intestinal fortitude
to sing in spite of icy winds
carrying a bitter sting.
She wasn’t particularly tough though
Piling on warm clothes, she’d shiver
by the fire with pots of tea while
her thoughts strayed to darker days
Lost to the world for a while
Unable to deliver a single smile
Folks said that she shouldn’t care
after the passing of so many years
Let it go, shed your tears, and let it go
And, when the sun was shining,
she could let it go, well, not entirely
but at least attain a loosened grip
letting it slip away
Is that cheating, she wondered out loud,
to pretend that the dark days before
she had her freedom to fly
no longer obscured a sunny sky?
Oh, those persistent memories
Buried in her genes
A sexually transmitted family pain
Intertwined with a thread of consciousness
that she continually fought to regain
Yes, the years have passed so quickly
She’s no longer that young girl who yearns
Except on occasion when those winter days
return…
© Teresa Roberts
Excerpt from the book “Imperfect Paths”
Foreword . . .
How many people can say they have not walked on rough terrain to get to where they are today? Most of us have been bruised and beaten to find out who we really are within; to find joy in this life we have been given. We are flawed beings with imperfect paths, and those turbulent journeys can either make us or break us.
It is easy to blame our past wrongs, the people who have tarnished our trust, and the bad bets the world throws at us. But we still hold the power to make a choice to become better than the humans who hurt us; to be the voice of change by learning from the experiences which have attempted to break us. Along the many roads traveled, the decisions we make will determine who we are to become.
Take a moment to walk in another’s shoes. The poets here have opened their Pandora’s Box, not to release the personal demons that taunt or once to keep them confined, but to share how to sever the weights one is shackled to.
Donna J. Sanders, Author
This book was sponsored by the Starving Artist Fund by the publishing group Creative Talents Unleashed.
100% of all proceeds from this book are being donated to the “Starving Artist Fund” to assist writers in becoming published authors. Please support a writer today!
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Categories: Anthology
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