No One Can Ruin Mary Oliver

No one can ruin Mary Oliver. 

Not even his bluster 

demanding me to 

 

justify every feeling, 

and every moment 

of my existence 

 

can take away 

the tiniest gasp 

of her breathless love affair 

with all that is lovely 

and alive. 

 

She writes in a key 

I know how to sing along to 

and there I am 

in love 

with the world again, 

 

remembering 

this is why I keep singing. 

 

Someone once asked me 

where do I go 

when it all presses in on me. 

 

And of course, I answer, “books”, 

but that’s only half the story. 

 

The answer is

all the stories, 

any story,

every word 

 

that wakes me up to the fact 

that joy still has places 

it can take root in. 

 

And no one can

sow joy 

quite like she does. 

Photo by Drew Colins on Unsplash

Song Choice: Vivir La Vida, but especially how Maria Hinojosa is using it in this Instagram clip.

Liner Notes for This Groove: This poem is linked to Poets and Storytellers United's Friday Writing.

Toothed

If my words are toothed
they were born that way,
dreaming of howling
before they clawed out of my chest.

It may not be wise,
but it’s less painful

than seeing them
crawling beneath my skin
when I look in the mirror.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Song Choice: Shout covered by Think Up Anger

Liner Notes for This Groove: This poem was created for the Friday Writings prompt at Poets and Storytellers United. "To Speak Up or Stay Quiet?"

Libra Moon

The Libra moon doesn’t know her own strength

—the gravitational pull of her sideways smile
drawing in strange and unasked for tides.
But she will always shine for herself first.

Photo by kylefromthenorth on Unsplash

Song Choice: Ex's and Oh's by Elle King

Liner Notes For This Groove: This poem is linked to Poets and Storytellers United's Friday Writing.

New Year's Wish

My wish for you—

Hope as sharp as lion’s teeth
devouring all the concrete that buries you
until you can

unfurl yourself under the encouraging sun
and make your own wishes
fly far and wide.

Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

Song Choice: Hey Jude covered by Infinity Song

Liner Notes for this Groove: This song is linked to Poets and Storyteller United's Friday Writing Prompt, Fascinating. I'm not sure how obscure this fact really is, but it always tickled me that the word dandelion originates from Latin meaning "lion's teeth".

Heavy Hearted

I have to kiss the world 

twice as hard now. 

I have to feel the weight 

of each leg of every butterfly 

that chooses to alight on my skin. 

 

I have to drench myself 

in the feel of moss 

and twilight colors 

over and over again 

 

to make my heart full and heavy 

with all the world’s subtle delights 

to outweigh the grief it carries. 

Photo by Karina Vorozheeva on Unsplash

Song Choice: Nature Boy covered by Aurora

Liner Notes for This Groove: This poem was created for the Friday Writing's Prompt at Poets and Storytellers United. It asked us to use a cliché in an unusual way.