Sounds

There are days
I sense
An unsettling
Within me

Times I listen

And hear weeping
Deep inside

And if someday

You should hear
These same sounds
Within you

Know it’s only

The sound of
Your soul’s tears
Crying

Only the sound

Of the hurt
You’ve endured

Only the sound

Of a soul
Growing strong

Only the sound

Of a lived life
Making
Sense
Of the world
That’s around
And within her

Sounds of courage

Not to be ashamed of
Or feared

For these are

The sounds
Of sacred roads traveled
And brave journeys survived

Eyes To See

I wonder sometimes
How I missed
The signs
That pain
Was surely
Coming

I look back

With sadness
At my open hearted
Unsuspecting
Self

Amazed that

I didn’t

See any of it
Coming

I didn’t yet

Have eyes
To see

We don’t fear

What we don’t know exists

Only later

Once bitten
Do we look at jaws
And tremble

Only once

We have survived
A loved one’s journey
Into mental illness
Do we hesitate
In the presence
Of warped logic

We don’t fear

What we don’t know exists

We take no precautions

Against what we don’t know
Can hurt us deeply
And change us
Forever

I Am Shaken

I am shaken

The world
Is burning down
Around me

All
Of my people
Are suffering

And I cannot
Offer
Help

Because I
Am suffering
Too

I do not have
The strength
Required of me

I can only
Crawl myself
To safety
And beg
For rest

Because the world
Is burning down

And if I don't
Find a way

To calm
My spirit
And center
My soul

I will
Burn down
Too

Curiosity

I was
Not taught
Curiosity

I was taught
Safety

And safely
I lived

But then
I got curious

Which made me feel afraid

And though
Fear rose up
To crush curiosity

 
I stayed curious

And I came to realize

That my safe living

Was a sign
Of compromise
Not success

That the choices

I had made
From fear
Were not
Choices made
With logic

So I have

Parted ways
With safety

And invited

Curiosity
To stay

I was taught safety

I taught myself curiosity

And learn daily

The lessons
Of both