Kaitlin, WOW your poem today moved me very deeply. I was right there with you with every word. "And yet, we treat it (safety) like something the privileged have sacrificed for," This is sooo true! And then, "like the families we’ve lost again and again to the chains of colonialism haven’t sacrificed for it, ached for it, longed for it, died in search of it." Again truth! We have such a call in our world for balance right now on so many levels. And even those words I just expresses don't even begin to express what is needed.
I had written a poem about kayaking on the ocean and paddling to safe harbor. Then a note from a friend came to me and this poem emerged. It pertains to three bills passed today in our New Hampshire legislature, where our state motto is "Live Free or Die."
^
Quiet spring day, respite from the rains,
a rest day, a day to feel safe in life’s beautiful embrace.
my friend’s note cuts the serenity and screams aloud,
the extremists passing as legislators have taken more rights away.
This time from Trans and Queer folk,
who have spent their lives dodging the raindrops of hate
that can fall on them every day.
Terms like “objectional content” and “safe spaces”
“safety for our children,” bandied about;
Though my sense is they are speaking of their children.
our children feel quite safe in an inclusive, open and
rights centered world.
^
More unsafe spaces created today
for our kindreds who only want to be safe
and to be who they are, openly and without fear.
^
It is time to “Yell Fire.”
sound all alarms, beat the drums
for all kindhearted to hear.
Our “Live Free or Die” motto,
always drenched in irony,
now basks in a stew of absurdity.
Our freedom here comes with stipulations,
and will apply to less and less as time goes on,
as zealotry, fear, exclusion and rabbit holes
rule the day in the halls of power.
^
Our boats are in the harbor,
our bodies pressed like chains across a darkening door;
Safety net.
Safety pin.
Safety comes
From within.
Am I being
Good to me?
Speaking truth
Authentically?
Knowing when
To pause - to hold.
Other times
Brave and bold.
The pin can keep
It all together.
Wrapped up tight -
Fit to weather.
It can also pierce -
Deflate -
Boundaries not so
Separate.
I catch glimpses -
Not there yet -
I am my own
Safety net.
Yes, I am my own safety net
Remembering that
"safety dance" song.
Ah, missed opportunity here Chuck!
This is wonderful, Sarah. You do an amazing job of rhyming and cadence and matching end and beginning.
As always, thank you for your encouragement Larry 😊
You are very welcome!
The house is quiet, never silent
With the a/c cranking on
And the fridge humming it’s night song
Like a jukebox to the ghosts
Of diners around our kitchen table.
The house is quiet, never silent
With our daughter muttering words
In her sleep like subtitles
To her wandering dreams.
The house is quiet, never silent
To the dregs of today’s worries,
But we are all tucked in bed
With side lamps and chapter books
And cups of water, like the children
We are. Like a child should be.
"Like subtitles to get wandering dreams"-- brilliant!
Chapter books......🙂
This is beautiful!
This is a beautiful poem, A.M.
Safe
Above the paper house
of my imagined life,
the shadow
of a giant hand floats.
I dream, hope, and pray
that its goal
is my protection;
that it’ll shelter me
from life’s storms,
secure me in turbulent times,
and deflect the day’s debris.
When I look beyond
my neighborhood,
I notice the hand
is often absent.
As I ponder those neighbors
who live largely unsheltered,
I ask, “Why aren’t
they protected, and
whose hand
will give them safety?”
As I sit in silence,
a voice echoes an answer,
“Your hand
is what they need.”
Yes....
...boom.....biff.......whammo...
Need some good batman sound words to go with that last line.
Nice.
This is really nice, Todd. It conjures up for me a John Hiatt song from years ago, "Through Your Hands."
Beautiful song, Larry. Thank you for sending me in that direction.
Todd, you are welcome. David Crosby has a nice cover of it, too.
"Don't look for a safe man," they said.
"Safe = boring = wimpy = effeminate--
You want a man who scares you.
You want a man who's delightfully dangerous."
I ignored them.
I married you
With your soft words
And your gentle laugh
And your way of looking at me across a room with a smile that says, I've got you.
When I curl up in your arms
I feel the primal safety of an animal in its burrow,
Safe from the teeth of the predator.
I am safe
I am warm
I am home.
.
[Inspired by the terrible books about ""biblical masculinity and femininity"" I read as a teenager]
I love this. I married a safe one, too. 🥰
This is beautiful, Lisa. Here's to safety and security to the good, the gentle, the soft!
God of the Silent and Silenced,
God Who Sees Our Pain,
God who lifted Elizabeth from disgrace
and invited the eunuch in — yours is the Womb
from which all liberation is born.
Protect those whose bodies
are made into battlefields,
because all our bodies are Yours.
Very nice, January.
The imagery in this is so striking! Particularly bodies as battlefields.
We all got the bright orange shoulder belt and its big heavy official looking metal badge to wear on post. Very kool.
But the coveted crosswalk duty
came with that red flag.
The hallowed talisman
and its mojo magic that could
turn an awkward & ordinary
run-of-the-mill fifth grader
into a powerful
bigger than life
car stopping wizard.
It was the envy of all the officers
in Mrs Donner's safety patrol squad that year.
Proud to serve.
This made me smile!
Nice, Chuck. A terrific ode to the Crossing Guards and the kids they protect!
Is safety
the absence
of risk
fear
and danger?
Or is it
the presence
of the support
friendship
and protection
which enable us
to live
our lives
to the full?
This is sweet, Jane. I hope it is the latter!
A wish,
or a plea,
for you and for me,
for the smallest flower
and the tallest tree,
for the flitting bird
and the buzzing bee,
from the crowded forest
to the open sea,
that we may be allowed
to breathe, rest, and be,
each respected in our
inherent dignity.
Awh, this is perfect 🥰
This is lovely, A. I love the cadence and the sweet and creative rhymes. This poem seems the seed for a children's book!
I love your words, Kaitlin. May it be so. My poem went cynical:
Safety is a joke,
an illusion that we smoke.
universe is broke.
The stanza with "Safety was never meant to be earned," particularly the "WAS IT?" really got me. There is so much emotion packed into so few words!
Kaitlin, WOW your poem today moved me very deeply. I was right there with you with every word. "And yet, we treat it (safety) like something the privileged have sacrificed for," This is sooo true! And then, "like the families we’ve lost again and again to the chains of colonialism haven’t sacrificed for it, ached for it, longed for it, died in search of it." Again truth! We have such a call in our world for balance right now on so many levels. And even those words I just expresses don't even begin to express what is needed.
My legs are beginning to shake.
What if this was a mistake?
Even the safety net doesn’t feel safe.
There are holes in it
And it’s far away!
My dreams are BIG!
Has it even been tested?
Will it hold the weight?
Am I strong enough to wait
Until the path appears?
It’s vulnerable out here
Weathering storm after storm
Fighting the urge to perform
To be as expected, fit the norm.
I’m not feeling brave anymore.
What was I thinking
Coming all the way out here
Trying to achieve my dreams
As just me?
Without wings?
Without an escape?
It is not safe.
But neither was my cage.
In my 50 years of life,
I have been at times
Sad
Alone
Apprehensive
Frightened
Even terrified
But in all of that time,
I have been merely
A phone call
A car ride
An email
A text message
A conversation
Away from
Comfort
Reassurance
Refuge
Sanctuary
Safety.
Amen to this, Karri!
I had written a poem about kayaking on the ocean and paddling to safe harbor. Then a note from a friend came to me and this poem emerged. It pertains to three bills passed today in our New Hampshire legislature, where our state motto is "Live Free or Die."
^
Quiet spring day, respite from the rains,
a rest day, a day to feel safe in life’s beautiful embrace.
my friend’s note cuts the serenity and screams aloud,
the extremists passing as legislators have taken more rights away.
This time from Trans and Queer folk,
who have spent their lives dodging the raindrops of hate
that can fall on them every day.
Terms like “objectional content” and “safe spaces”
“safety for our children,” bandied about;
Though my sense is they are speaking of their children.
our children feel quite safe in an inclusive, open and
rights centered world.
^
More unsafe spaces created today
for our kindreds who only want to be safe
and to be who they are, openly and without fear.
^
It is time to “Yell Fire.”
sound all alarms, beat the drums
for all kindhearted to hear.
Our “Live Free or Die” motto,
always drenched in irony,
now basks in a stew of absurdity.
Our freedom here comes with stipulations,
and will apply to less and less as time goes on,
as zealotry, fear, exclusion and rabbit holes
rule the day in the halls of power.
^
Our boats are in the harbor,
our bodies pressed like chains across a darkening door;
Take shelter, dear ones,
we are ready to sail to safety,
right by your side.
It is time to yell fire, yes!
I am so saddened by the actions of our State legislature.
Kaitlin...you covered the bases and more...hard to top this...change comes through your words that help us dream of a better world...
Amen!