Growth Poems
magnets
by Sarah A
your lips are magnets to my skin
it feels rare to be loved like this
i guess that’s why i’m scared to admit
afraid of losing this uncharted bliss
my involuntary response
to keep everyone far
only continues the cycle
of breaking my own heart
maybe this time is a new start
what if we strolled forever in this park
......
Months of Saturn
by Hope Norton
Be a father to me
place a hand on my head
keep me rooted, my mind
Oh father, why won’t you let me levitate?
I understand that you are distant
for me to grow above you
but please, that searing shield you carry,
put it down.
Embrace me warmly
......
Spring
by Bhawana Yadav
For the longest time, I thought I knew what it was
like the spring after a chilly winter
brushing snowflakes from your jacket and wishing for those daisies to bloom
maybe it was the platonic turn of poles
and the fate busted as the mighty, scorching, ruthless ball of fire
destroyed the spirit of little daisies
you were no less than that blistering weather
leaving me demented
you walked away
after a bizarre show of vulnerabilities
......
A Change of Fortune
by Evelyn Judy Buehler
I was an invaluable bank teller, loving peaceful life and daisy blue sky days,
Like yellow sun warming sweet seasons, inducing vibrant, natural displays.
I left for pleasant work every day, with a determined and practical purpose;
And I was happy in my job thoroughly, as colorful clowns at a golden circus.
My friends and I would lunch together, like milky stars gathered in the sky,
And we laughed at the mellow sunshine, like wind will sometimes, going by.
My family passed in and out of rose hours, like moon's hide and seek ways,
......
Thank you for being here
by Tim Hager
You need to be broken, cracked open, to discover deeper layers to your being. The good news is that you can never completely break, for what you truly are cannot die. So as you break, all that dies are protective layers, illusions, and walls you have inherited from your surroundings and sustained because you didn’t know any better.
So let yourself break, and let the pain that arises be the fire that burns away all your doubts. Step back and allow these intense and scary emotions to run through your veins. These feelings are not your enemies, and deep down, you know this. They are but contracted love - your own repressed, malnourished, scared inner child crying out to be heard. As you become their embrace, they will unfold and bloom into powerful allies, like trees of such might and beauty that sustain your destiny’s unfolding.
Don’t be scared of your pain, and if you are, don’t add to it with more disdain. Acceptance is ever-present, and even your perfect inability to accept how you feel is already accepted, or else it wouldn’t be happening. Now you are free, not because you’re in control of yourself, but because you’ve let go of your anxious grasp on life. You’ve rediscovered your very own childlike freedom that is so deeply rooted in unknowing, in letting go and embracing what life sets before you. You never needed to become anyone, never needed to earn acceptance. Life has already said “yes” to you, for it has been unconditionally nourishing you until this very point. You are nature’s gift to itself, you breathe its air and eat its fruits, you stand in awe at its beauty and unknowingly carry out your divine duty, just by being you - a role no one else could fill.
Allow yourself to break now, to become a total mess. Drop your theatrical composure, with which you might have fooled other personas, but never could find any meaningful closure. Let the fear of being nobody fill your heart and brutally tear it apart, for every layer that falls away is a courageous step into the light of a new day.
And if you ever wonder what this pain is all about, it is not merely a source of frustration, but the very source of your being, the infinite power of creation. It is truly God’s fertile breath, the source of all life and the antidote to death. Scary it may be, but full of life for eternity. The dark, empty bottom of your being is where paradise reveals. Beyond space and time, beyond all definitions and names, the only thing that remains is the naked sense of “I”, the place where you and God stand eye to eye - one more step, now you’ve melted in his might.
......
Cross-Stitch
by Ben Quinn
A needle pulling thread; “pull it over itself,” “See the ‘X’?”
Pierce the perforated white
Pull it through, form the-
A wonky ‘W’ shape manifests in the firelight.
But I’ll get it someday, when I find the patience to.
A simple stick-figure becomes a pixel-art drop of dew
Becomes a vibrant landscape.
A world of thread and crosses.
......
"The tree that grew upside down."
by Dylan Wu Rong
The mind of a child is innocent,
through the eyes of an adult it is ignorant,
stuck in the middle,
like the earth in an eclipse,
my being protects the innocent ignorance in the shadow,
while the ignorant innocence is shined upon.
Belief?
Beliefs state my choices as wrong,
but what are beliefs,
when the idea in itself
......
Letter to Self
by Adelana Victor
Dear Adelana Victor Blaqhárt,
I need to make this crystal clear: stay out of my way. The path I’m on is one I’ve carefully crafted, and the vision I have for myself demands no interference—not even from me. I’ve spent enough time second-guessing, doubting, and overthinking. I can no longer afford the luxury of hesitation or the noise of self-imposed limits. So hear this—if you, I, ever attempt to sabotage what we’ve built, if you hesitate when you should leap, or if you take one step back instead of moving forward, I will not forgive you.
You’ve fought too hard to let yourself remain stagnant, to let fear or insecurity hold you back. Do not test me. I’ve been patient, I’ve been understanding, but I’ve had enough of this struggle. I have set goals, I’ve placed myself on a trajectory that demands all of my focus and strength. If you ever even think about derailing that, I will shut you down. There’s no room for doubt, no room for weakness, no space for hesitation. You either rise to meet the person you’ve promised yourself to be, or you get out of your own way. This is no longer a negotiation.
I know you, your brilliance, your creativity, your drive. But I also know your tendencies to question, to overthink, and to stall. The world won’t wait for you to find the courage; it won’t wait for your permission to move forward. So here’s the deal: stay out of your own way, or face the consequences of wasted potential. I won’t tolerate it. We’ve come too far.
From Adelana Victor,
You.
......
Never let go
by Sonja D.
Those steep stairs
I walk alone
thought I'd slip
sure I'd trip
come tumbling down
you held tight though
never let me go.
My path to walk
cycles of hell
......
Growing Pains
by Gus Krueger
Achy bones like brittle tree bark
Stretching skin ripping like paper
Numb tendons lagging behind
Emotions mixed like soup on a cold day
Confused in finding a footing
Changes etched in aging eyes
Renewed perspective aching with stretching numbness
Growing up means experiencing new Pains.
