Awakening
—Poems by Linda M. Crate, Meadville, PA
—Anonymous Photos
HERE I AM
i walk in
a world of darkness
with light
because i am both the sun
& the moon
both shadow and lantern
i choose goodness and virtue
there's bad in me,
but i choose
the good;
i think i could be really cruel if i wanted to be
but there's no strength in bitter roots
aren't there already enough
pomegranates in this
world?
once the blood of one ran down my arms,
but i didn't like the taste;
i can't blame persephone for leaving hades—
when the world screams so loudly
it gives me such awful
headaches,
and i don't want to fathom a world where the
nightmares win
so here i am.
i walk in
a world of darkness
with light
because i am both the sun
& the moon
both shadow and lantern
i choose goodness and virtue
there's bad in me,
but i choose
the good;
i think i could be really cruel if i wanted to be
but there's no strength in bitter roots
aren't there already enough
pomegranates in this
world?
once the blood of one ran down my arms,
but i didn't like the taste;
i can't blame persephone for leaving hades—
when the world screams so loudly
it gives me such awful
headaches,
and i don't want to fathom a world where the
nightmares win
so here i am.
NOTHING IN YOU IS LOYAL
you told me that i couldn't,
that i wouldn't
achieve my dreams
just ripping every sun out of my skies
that you could;
but i no longer value your opinion
so you can't insult me
anymore—
i put all the suns back and then some
shining so bright that you'll
never stop me,
and i won't allow anyone else to cut me
through to the bone
for while i am capable of rising from death
blooming into a new flower
stronger than the last
i won't deny that it's painful;
and it gave you more dignity than you
deserved because you're just a dog after a bone
no wolf like you claimed because
wolves are loyal and there's nothing in you
of loyalty.
ARE YOU HONEST WITH YOURSELF?
behind all those masks
is there a face
or just another
mask
because i don't know if
you're even honest
with yourself?
it wouldn't surprise me if you
don't recognize your
true face
because you never could give me
anything other than lies
or false sincerity,
and i think there was a part of you
that wanted to be truthful to me;
but you always swallowed
him down and became distant if i asked
the wrong questions—
i was only a good time to you,
and i had fallen in love so you could fall
in lust;
just another dog after a bone
another man that couldn't
love—
i guess i wanted to believe you better
than you could be.
NO LONGER THE RABBIT
i won't be scared
to be who i am
anymore
because i realize even
cracked with all my imperfections
i am beautiful,
and it was you that were the
monster;
tore me into some sort of chaos that
i couldn't understand—
but i am strong
as a gorgon,
and i will turn you to stone
with just one withering
glance;
for while i prefer kindness and flowers
i can now hold my old ground—
not that little rabbit
you killed and left bleeding
upon the winter's crown.
A LITTLE BITTER
you can have him
i don't want
him
at least not most days
especially the ones
where i miss
the girl i used to be
before he took me and broke me
in all those places i
considered sacred,
and you can
keep yourself warm within his bones
because they only ever left me
cold;
i know you were the other woman
before you two were wed,
and it used to anger me
i got over it;
because we all get what we deserve—
so good luck, honey,
he doesn't believe in honesty or goodness or virtue;
and i deserve better than that
truthfully you probably do, too, but i'm a little
bitter that you took him from me
after all this time.
BENEATH A TAPESTRY OF STARS YOU’LL FALL
whispers of light fell
upon the ground
casting
shadows of long and ancient trees
doing battle with stormy skies
snow falling over me
in soft petals of
sharp wit and death without remorse
killing my favorite flowers,
but i would not
succumb;
this darkness of winter guised by the
white diamonds of his love and his pure opal
crystals hanging in the mouths of unsuspecting trees
and buildings did not sway me to
kindness—
i burn with a the heart of a summer's moon
cancer in aries
i am not weak, i will wage war
with all those who would take the peace away
even sons of winter;
you laughed at my pain and made a mockery of my
nightmares but my anxiety wasn't something
i could help
one day the ground will remember your name no more
as you're buried beneath the tapestry of stars
known as my fists.
___________________
Today’s LittleNip(s):
Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.
—Oscar Wilde
_________________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Linda M. Crate from Pennsylvania for today’s poetry!
Celebrate poetry!
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