May Poetry Prompts
The first thing that came to mind
This morning when I woke up
Is how behind her sedated eyes
Might have been this fear—
Fear of losing control,
Fear of being left alone,
Fear of dying.
Yes, I project my own inner turmoil
Onto this furry creature that was my own.
And it’s because she was family
For four (five?) years
That I now wrestle with a gut-knotting fear—
Fear that I let her down,
Fear that I killed her.
And that even though I was there
Till the end
Whispering “you are loved,”
Whispering “you are safe,”
She nonetheless had to cross the veil
Fearing being abandoned.
What shall I do with you?
Put you in a box where you don’t get any air?
Let you trample me like wildebeests?
Throw you again and again into the river?
Alchemize you into anger or a stomachache?
Or sit with you like a crying child and let you feel yourself fully
(which is what I fear most of all)?
Because what are you afraid of?
They ask.
Everything.
And it's fine, it's nothing.
And everything.
Will the zucchinis sprout
did the lavender overwinter
will I know what to do with a tick if
I even find it in time?
Is it allergies or a cold or
was that gathering too much after all?
Can I stand down this beast
or do I hold it's hand for a while?
Will the beehive slumbering in my chest
wake and sting, poison or
leave. Pollinate. Make good.
Will you still love me will we make
it will we
make
something
everything.
Will I make it?
We talk about Fear as if it is its own being,
something to be controlled, buried, disposed of.
We don't realize that in separating it from our selves,
we make it bigger.
Fear is a small part of us who needs to be
honored and held,
Or it will become the very beast
we're all so afraid of.
Fear
"An embodied sense
Something is amiss, in the
place I put my dreams"
#haiku
Fear feels like a song
whispered out of sight,
the words make no sense
but the tune feels right.
Fear is a child
Calling out in the night
It is in need of comfort
From a touch of the light
When a gentle hand
Reaches out with help
It can be sated
And come back to itself
Too often we treat it
Like it’s a live wire
Like if we touch it
Then we will catch fire
But with some gentle
Soothing tender care
It won’t drown us in darkness
But make us aware
His heart pounding
He walked to the table
His calloused hand
Grasped the edge
Birds and coins flying
People staring
Vendors shouting
-
Live your life with courage.
Walk up to the tables
of those who oppress.
Look them in the eye.
Know your fear is real
And do it anyway.
Things that go bump in the night fear
Fear of the unknown
Phobias - unexplainable fear
Fear that comes from awe
Fear that keeps you safe
Holy and reverent fear
Fear of being alone
Fear that hinders
Fear that heals
A multitude of types and definitions
Stifling fear
Courage in spite of fear
Run from fear
Run with fear
Embrace fear.
In my wallet I keep a photo of
Andy Warhol in a Soup Can—
It helps me overcome the fear
Of being myself around you
It is art to be this complicated and awkward
While maintaining all the charm of tomato soup.
Where do you come from?
Outside in the world, the unknown
Or
Deep within me, the unexplored self
Maybe both
Living in and with fear
Fearfully, what if things don't change?
Or more fear
What if they do?
What if I am left alone?
Without community
To explore that self
Deep within
Discovering who I was
Created to be
What if I find a community?
To explore the unknown
Relationship with others
Will I have to hide
Part of myself
Fear within and without
Fear is everywhere
Courage isn't the absence of fear
It is the ability to work through it
(At least we tell troops that before battle)
Reciting that while doing
Superman pose
Brings relief
Fear returns, always
Different than before
Still recognizable
At times, it roars
Fight or flight takes hold
Other times, it saunters alongside
Whispering doubt and confusion
Fear is a power and principality
It wants to claim a domain
Urges us to look warily
At those different
Psst - here is a secret
Fear is whispering to them too
We must hold tightly to that secret
It is a key
That liberates us
Time and again
From fear
It does take a bit of courage
To reach out
To someone we are afraid of
And who is afraid of us
To talk
To share
To make the unknown known
The stranger becomes
Acquaintance becomes
Colleague becomes
Friend
Through that transformation
From "other" to friend
We explore the unknown
And discover we have
Explored the unexplored self
As well
Fear, we know you will return
We are ready.
Is this a long, dark tunnel,
Or is this just life!
Something about a light
But it’s coming from inside
I’m afraid
And very, very, very excited
Am I enough?
Am I too much?
Am I the right person for such a time as this?
And what causes more fear?
Not being the right person…or being the right person?
How do I know?
a label given
others when choices differ
as listening fails
as in: living in
fear the ultimate insult
discouraging thought
what if, hear me now
fear tells us a deeper truth
our hearts need tending
Lives deep sometimes
Rising unexpected
Needed, unwanted
Mitigating movement
Forward reaching back to
Moments buried unseen
Unknown even yet
Real as blue sky filled
With clouds blowing over
Green trees. Breathe.
Re-center focus to
Deeper peace brave
Courage comes as Love
Wraps around dark places
Hidden but seen
And drained of power
Validated feelings resign
To truth and bring
Empathic hope inside
Overflowing.
I’m not Flight or Fight
I’m Freeze
My body cemented to one spot
But my mind running 100 mph in circles
Car accident
Dog attack
Mom’s Cancer Diagnosis
Fear is a sudden vice grip
Who eases after the passage of Time
But I can still feel its hand hovering over me
Always ready to grab me once again
Fear and I have been close friends for many years now
I really want to walk out on this relationship though
It’s toxic
The first thing that came to mind
This morning when I woke up
Is how behind her sedated eyes
Might have been this fear—
Fear of losing control,
Fear of being left alone,
Fear of dying.
Yes, I project my own inner turmoil
Onto this furry creature that was my own.
And it’s because she was family
For four (five?) years
That I now wrestle with a gut-knotting fear—
Fear that I let her down,
Fear that I killed her.
And that even though I was there
Till the end
Whispering “you are loved,”
Whispering “you are safe,”
She nonetheless had to cross the veil
Fearing being abandoned.
What shall I do with you?
Put you in a box where you don’t get any air?
Let you trample me like wildebeests?
Throw you again and again into the river?
Alchemize you into anger or a stomachache?
Or sit with you like a crying child and let you feel yourself fully
(which is what I fear most of all)?
Because what are you afraid of?
They ask.
Everything.
And it's fine, it's nothing.
And everything.
Will the zucchinis sprout
did the lavender overwinter
will I know what to do with a tick if
I even find it in time?
Is it allergies or a cold or
was that gathering too much after all?
Can I stand down this beast
or do I hold it's hand for a while?
Will the beehive slumbering in my chest
wake and sting, poison or
leave. Pollinate. Make good.
Will you still love me will we make
it will we
make
something
everything.
Will I make it?
We talk about Fear as if it is its own being,
something to be controlled, buried, disposed of.
We don't realize that in separating it from our selves,
we make it bigger.
Fear is a small part of us who needs to be
honored and held,
Or it will become the very beast
we're all so afraid of.
Fear
"An embodied sense
Something is amiss, in the
place I put my dreams"
#haiku
Fear feels like a song
whispered out of sight,
the words make no sense
but the tune feels right.
Fear is a child
Calling out in the night
It is in need of comfort
From a touch of the light
When a gentle hand
Reaches out with help
It can be sated
And come back to itself
Too often we treat it
Like it’s a live wire
Like if we touch it
Then we will catch fire
But with some gentle
Soothing tender care
It won’t drown us in darkness
But make us aware
His heart pounding
He walked to the table
His calloused hand
Grasped the edge
Birds and coins flying
People staring
Vendors shouting
-
Live your life with courage.
Walk up to the tables
of those who oppress.
Look them in the eye.
Know your fear is real
-
And do it anyway.
Fear
Things that go bump in the night fear
Fear of the unknown
Phobias - unexplainable fear
Fear that comes from awe
Fear that keeps you safe
Holy and reverent fear
Fear of being alone
Fear that hinders
Fear that heals
A multitude of types and definitions
Stifling fear
Courage in spite of fear
Run from fear
Run with fear
Embrace fear.
In my wallet I keep a photo of
Andy Warhol in a Soup Can—
It helps me overcome the fear
Of being myself around you
It is art to be this complicated and awkward
While maintaining all the charm of tomato soup.
Fear
Where do you come from?
Outside in the world, the unknown
Or
Deep within me, the unexplored self
Maybe both
Living in and with fear
Fearfully, what if things don't change?
Or more fear
What if they do?
What if I am left alone?
Without community
To explore that self
Deep within
Discovering who I was
Created to be
What if I find a community?
To explore the unknown
Relationship with others
Will I have to hide
Part of myself
Fear within and without
Fear is everywhere
Courage isn't the absence of fear
It is the ability to work through it
(At least we tell troops that before battle)
Reciting that while doing
Superman pose
Brings relief
Fear returns, always
Different than before
Still recognizable
At times, it roars
Fight or flight takes hold
Other times, it saunters alongside
Whispering doubt and confusion
Fear is a power and principality
It wants to claim a domain
Urges us to look warily
At those different
Psst - here is a secret
Fear is whispering to them too
We must hold tightly to that secret
It is a key
That liberates us
Time and again
From fear
It does take a bit of courage
To reach out
To someone we are afraid of
And who is afraid of us
To talk
To share
To make the unknown known
The stranger becomes
Acquaintance becomes
Colleague becomes
Friend
Through that transformation
From "other" to friend
We explore the unknown
And discover we have
Explored the unexplored self
As well
Fear, we know you will return
We are ready.
Is this a long, dark tunnel,
Or is this just life!
Something about a light
But it’s coming from inside
I’m afraid
And very, very, very excited
Am I enough?
Am I too much?
Am I the right person for such a time as this?
And what causes more fear?
Not being the right person…or being the right person?
How do I know?
a label given
others when choices differ
as listening fails
as in: living in
fear the ultimate insult
discouraging thought
what if, hear me now
fear tells us a deeper truth
our hearts need tending
Fear
Lives deep sometimes
Rising unexpected
Needed, unwanted
Mitigating movement
Forward reaching back to
Moments buried unseen
Unknown even yet
Real as blue sky filled
With clouds blowing over
Green trees. Breathe.
Re-center focus to
Deeper peace brave
Courage comes as Love
Wraps around dark places
Hidden but seen
And drained of power
Validated feelings resign
To truth and bring
Empathic hope inside
Overflowing.
Fear
I’m not Flight or Fight
I’m Freeze
My body cemented to one spot
But my mind running 100 mph in circles
Car accident
Dog attack
Mom’s Cancer Diagnosis
Fear is a sudden vice grip
Who eases after the passage of Time
But I can still feel its hand hovering over me
Always ready to grab me once again
Fear and I have been close friends for many years now
I really want to walk out on this relationship though
It’s toxic