here’s what she said
to me…
there will be days to hold onto
and days that burn the skin from your fingers
happiness is a pearl you should wear
when no one else is looking
every movement you make involves a choice
between yourself and someone you love
practice remembering what it was to be a child
and laugh with joy at least once a day
lick wonder from your fingers and
rub hope into your elbows
don’t ever be afraid to be silent
or to speak or to sing or to scream
every mirror is a false apparition
find your reflection in someone else’s eyes
you will grow in ten million directions
and every one of them is who you are
make every mistake you can imagine
and then go back and make a few more
kindness always replenishes itself
and love is the same as breathing
you will never finish the book
that is your story
life is the gift and survival
is the miracle
sit beneath the sky and find a way
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A poem a day for 30 days, in honor of National Poetry Month.
This post is part of NaPoWriMo.
Linking in over at dVersePoets for Meeting the Bar.
Also joining in with PAD (poem a day) over at Writer’s Digest.
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April 3rd, 2014 at 9:49 am
Now this sounds like the voice of a very wise mother. It’s impossible to tell what my favorite verse is because everything here has this touch of delicate beauty, I wouldn’t dare to pick a favorite and be unfair to the rest. 🙂
Beautiful.
Kiss. <3
April 3rd, 2014 at 11:22 am
I loved “you will never finish the book…that is your story”. I want to sit beneath the sky and find a way. This has so very much in it that I wish!! It is grabbing me all over and poking me.
April 3rd, 2014 at 11:27 am
This should be hung on the wall to read every single day and into a bookmark to be reminded of each time I open a book and engraved on my heart to never forget.
April 3rd, 2014 at 1:34 pm
sounds like a wise woman… never finish that book and keep growing in all directions…i like that much..
April 3rd, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Oh my God Kelly..you are killing me, I love every line..every thought just awesome.
April 3rd, 2014 at 3:12 pm
yet another wonderful offering. this is my favourite line: “you will grow in ten million directions, and every one of them is who you are”
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:16 pm
so much wisdom, love every single one.
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:17 pm
Que sera, sera
in the most beautiful way.
Full of the pearls you speak of.
April 3rd, 2014 at 8:04 pm
I thought exactly the same thing when I read the title – Vicki Carr or Doris Day singing Que Sera’. I’m wondering if this was a mother or grandmother. Nice to have them all together like this.
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:17 pm
Such wisdom and so imaginatively described – every line is like a koan…
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:22 pm
What great advice, Kelly. I think one of my favorites is “practice remembering what it was to be a child / and laugh with joy at least once a day”. Whoever said all these things to you was a wise woman!
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:24 pm
I love the advice at the end.. never finish the book… but many more very powerfull advices.. reads smooth as silk.. wonderful
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:29 pm
I really love every line.. more so, “lick wonder from your fingers and rub hope into your elbows”, and, of course, “you will never finish the book that is your story”. Beautiful lines indeed.. 🙂
April 3rd, 2014 at 4:30 pm
These are wonderful words for living! Many pearls of wisdom. I can empathize with so many of them. Right now I like the idea that you will grow in ten million directions and every one is you! This poem makes me feel good!
April 3rd, 2014 at 5:25 pm
I love the nuggets of wisdom Kelly ~ My favorites are:
you will grow in ten million directions
and every one of them is who you are
make every mistake you can imagine
and then go back and make a few more
April 3rd, 2014 at 5:43 pm
Excellent poetry. >KB
April 3rd, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Very sound and delightful advice, indeed! Life is too short to not truly live it.
April 3rd, 2014 at 6:06 pm
this is so beautiful, Kelly ~
April 3rd, 2014 at 6:59 pm
This is so grace-filled–it’s something I would want to print out and hang on my bathroom mirror as a reminder. Wow!
April 3rd, 2014 at 7:11 pm
I thought this was full of wisdom and so beautifully crafted. Very well done.
April 3rd, 2014 at 9:39 pm
This tears me up… sounds like a mom’s advice. Anyway, I love this one:
every mirror is a false apparition
find your reflection in someone else’s eyes
April 3rd, 2014 at 11:20 pm
so many little koans of wisdom in this…the first that really grabbed me was
happiness is a pearl you should wear
when no one else is looking
but honestly one that you could come back to time and time again to get more….
April 4th, 2014 at 1:18 am
i like how you recognise that you can grow in all directions and still be you.
April 4th, 2014 at 10:39 pm
A woman of wisdom..you will never finish the book
as it is the story of life..
April 5th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
I don’t know who “she” is – but for now she is you, and thank you for imparting them in this beautiful way. Also be sure to make this a gift to children and grandchildren who will also treasure these wise words.