Category: Survival

Fire and Water

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Fire and water
We travel through it by far
As much as I douse your flames
You continue to spar

Paralyzed by your words
Cold and cruel, you are an animal
Each one a mind blowing zing
And you claim to be rational

Your criticisms are unfounded
They are unkind and heartless
Where is your filter?
But you proceed regardless

Saying whatever you want
Irrespective of the effect
If I try to distract you
Your voice will inflect

It hurts and you are aware
But it doesn’t stop you
Never apologizing
Your behavior is askew

For the pain you inflict
I don’t know you anymore?
Not recognizing who you’ve become
I feel cut to the core

Our communications escalate
To a level that is dangerous
Your false accusations
Are downright traitorous

You are determined to compete
I have become your arch rival
To you I practice cognitive dissonance
But in reality it is my survival

Christine Bolton

Daily Prompts:

Zing

Distract

Compete

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This Time

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This time I will not buckle
My head is held high
I don’t have to listen to
Your angry words
That cause me to cry

This time I will succeed
I will stand up to you
No more make up
This time we break up
I cannot see this through

This time I will not give you
A platform on which to strand
You play both the victim
And the dictator
Delivering a back hand

This time I will not duck
Your words disguised as knives
I deflect them fearlessly
No scars this time
This cat has many lives

This time you’re not the man I love
You are someone unrecognizable
Nasty, accusatory and untruthful
Spewing your aggression
My pain is undeniable

This time it is different
I bear no fault for your behavior
Arrogance unbecoming
I am striving for freedom
Look elsewhere for a savior

This time I look ahead
Old feelings are obsolete 
Eyes front and center
There’s no looking back
This chapter is now complete

Christine Bolton – Poetry for Healing ©

Word Prompts:

Striving

Duck

Obsolete

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Eight – Poem of the Month – August 2018

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Eight

When I was eight
Things were not so great
Life gave me such a kick
I grew up pretty quick
A child expecting a present
Instead was delivered unpleasant
My parents started fighting
Just the beginning of writing
That was clearly on the wall
Witnessing the nightly brawl
My father was an unhappy man
My mother trying the best she can
The combination explosive
Their relationship corrosive
Living life under cumulus clouds
Feeling like the dead covered in shrouds
I learned to fake
Even though my heart would ache
Every ounce of pain
They delivered without refrain
Hurting each other mercilessly
Only to be regretted remorsefully
Suffering the pain as a mortal
Damage to the psyche immortal
Communication with each other
Was really like no other
I was the chosen intermediary
Carrying their messages diligently
The peacekeeper of the house
Keeping family secrets quiet as a mouse
Too clever for my young age
I became the family sage
Learning the art of improvise
Trying to get parents to compromise
It was a huge burden to carry
Acting as their emissary
On the shoulders of someone so young
At eight years old this was no fun
They were unable to make decisions
There were only divisions
A merry go round of hostility
I finally had enough servility
If I had any potential
Then escape was essential
Breaking loose of that scene
When I was eighteen

Christine Bolton

Word Prompts of the day:

Potential

Clouds

Immortal

Present

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Save The Sailor From The Sea

by  • 

Demoralized and discouraged
Surrender to the darkness
That will surely come
Life held in the balance
Leaving it heartless

Joy drowning
Breathless and weakened
Laughter comes no more
Spirit trodden and squashed
Thoroughly beaten

Treading the troubled water
Exhausted by endeavor
Resistance fading fast
Hope is lost at sea
Now gone forever

Voice weakened from the cry
Who would have listened
Words fallen on deaf ears
Nobody cared
He was as if imprisoned

Nothing left to fight for
Not one possibility
Insignificant and invisible
Was is life
Save the sailor from the sea

Christine Bolton

© 2018 Poetry for Healing

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Camaraderie

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Camaraderie

When the chips are down
You’re not going to drown
Keep your eye on the prize
Focus on the game in hand
No more head in the sand
You are on the verge of a rise

You’ve developed your strength
Keeping enemies at arms length
You don’t let them see you sweat
You are the captain of your ship
Sailing at quite a clip
There is no need for a drift net

How did you find your force?
Did you dig deep for the source?
The camaraderie of good souls
Is likely the healing answer
To this malignant cancer
Giving you the ultimate control

Leaning on your friends
Not having to make amends
Is the support we all need
Reach out when you’re drowning
There’s no time for accounting
Or we die in the weeds

Christine Bolton

Word of the Day Challenge: Camaraderie

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Fight

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Fight

I choose no fight
Portraying only composure
When you are less than happy
I feel trapped in this enclosure

Nothing can lift your darkness
No matter how I endeavor
Angry at the world
Aiming at whomever

Your words delivered
With such fervor
Those that hear them
Display a shiver

Eyes blinded in rage
Not seeing where your words fall
Nothing can stop this onslaught
We are heading for a brawl

My only defense is offence
Fight is necessary to survive
You’ve put me in a corner
There is no time to contrive

I will come out swinging
It is the only way I know
Whose voice is louder
Such pain to bestow

The battle of words continues
There are no winners or losers
It continues for several days
This championship of accusers

A road to nowhere
Why do we insist on going
Taking us down the dark path
The destination unknowing

When will it end
For it most surely should
I am all cried out now
It has done neither of us any good

Christine Bolton

Word of the Day Challenge Fervor

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Nefarious

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Nefarious

She is kind and thoughtful
Sweet and kind
Always gracious to all
In a peaceful state of mind

She may have discovered herself
In the age of Aquarius
But make no mistake
This angel can be nefarious

Yes poised and serene
Loving all who cross her path
Yet if you mess with her
You will suffer her wrath

This flower child hippy
With love for everyone
Will make your life hell
And you’ll wish to be gone

A feminist who fought
And burned her bra
For her rights as a human
And she is nobody’s squaw

A princess warrior
Grounded and secure
She has fought hard
Admiration is hers to procure

Respect for everyone
If you wish it to be returned
There is no superior gender
Equality is deserved

Christine Bolton

In response to Word of The Day Challenge Nefarious

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Composure

by  • 

Composure

Elegant and dignified
I try to remain
Although extremely hard
When you are killing my brain

Blindsided by the onslaught
It came from out of left field
Words crossed in anger
Like weapons to wield

The accelerant used
To me was unknown
My confidence lost in the flames
I’m now in the danger zone

Regaining my composure
When we are out of sync
Unaware of the cause
Takes me to the brink

To jump off the cliff
Escaping the pain
Is an option considered
Again and again

As if being on the front lines
Of a battleground
How I wish to alight
This merry-go-round

Now tongue-tied
I can only stare
In disbelief
Of what got us here

The war of our words
Escalated to implausible heights
Drained of energy
I surrender the fight

Christine Bolton

In response to the daily Word Prompt: Elegant

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Frazzled

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Frazzled

I’m frazzled of late
It seems to be my fate
I work so hard to be
Completely in charge of me
Only allowing a wrinkle or two
To distort the view
Of a drama-free life
Without a hint of strife
This is what I hope to achieve
As long as I can believe
That when things go a little haywire
I can extricate myself from the murky mire

I’m frazzled of late
Did I lock the back gate?
Did I give the dog his dinner?
So much to consider
I forgot to look
And that’s all it took
I’ll have to return home
I should have put an alert on my phone
Now I’ve forgotten my keys
It like a disease
Why did I change my purse?
It is as good as a curse

I’m frazzled of late
Everything will have to wait
Nothing is going right today
From the schedule I mustn’t stray
I just need to prioritize my list
So nothing will get missed
The pressure is getting too much to bear
I feel like I’m getting nowhere
Please make the world stop for a minute
So I can adjust and be in it to win it
I’m running in circles with shoes untied
Tripping up and landing broadside

I’m frazzled of late
And feeling the weight
Keeping the balls in the air
With time to spare
Is a thing of the past
Why couldn’t it last?
Never, ever be late
For that important date
What happened to me?
That I could not see
Has the World gone crazy?
Or have I just been lazy

I’m frazzled of late

Christine Bolton

In response to the Daily Word Prompt: Frazzle

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Grace Under Pressure

by  • 

Grace under pressure
Remember the rule
Keep your temper in check
And stay cool
Remain calm
Don’t blow your stack
Be cognizant of others
Even when no one has your back
Stay kind and thoughtful
Though you could scream right now
They are poking the embers
Of a fiery disposition, and how!
This is not a good place to be
And you know it too well
You are the rational one
But you will never tell
Let them crumble under the pressure
As they continue to stoke your fire
If only they knew
The agony of your ire
You are the better person
As you can walk away
They will be eaten by their anger
Because they will never call it a day

Christine Bolton

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