Senryu Tears have long since dried The memories linger on and the pain still wounds Copyright © 2021 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing All Rights Reserved
Daily Haiku – Mon. February 22, 2021
Tag: Pain
To Hell With You Janus
To Hell With You Janus
Janus you are two-faced A god who wants it both ways Pedantic and limiting One face looking back, your rush for us to end a year One face looking forward, you fill us with expectations Promising us all that is new is, as always, deceitful This month named for you has come to be the darkest of my life Your wicked vendetta year after year has robbed me of a parent, and given my husband to another. You cursed a loved one with brain tumors and now you destroy another marriage. Casting your long shadows on my life has ended I return this month to you For I do not see you anymore I do not know you I never knew you There is no end or beginning No old or new It just is Copyright © 2021 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing All Rights Reserved Sanaa, from A Dash of Sunny, is hosting Open Link Night at D'verse Poets Pub tonight. Word Prompts Vendetta - Word of the Day Long Shadows - RDP Pedantic - FOWC
Misunderstood
Misunderstood
Your eyes no longer hide the truth They have become the lens to your dark soul The bitterness written between the lines of your face Chiseled deep into the crevices where it now resides Dragging the once curve of a smile into a permanent scowl The magnitude of your suffering living on display for all to see Your strange, misunderstood past responsible for a demeanor that pushes friendship away Making it impossible for anyone to come close so they might know more of your story and pain Copyright © 2020 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing All Rights Reserved Word Prompts Beginning with “M” - Stream of Consciousness Magnitude - FOWC Strange - RDP Image by Sammy-Williams from Pixabay
Taking a Knee – Ironic
Like you I have struggled to find the words to respond to the horror of the murder of George Floyd before my very eyes. A man who allegedly tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill was immediately regarded as a thief and killed without a trial or a chance to plead his case. Was he a threat to society? Did the police treat him this way for our own good? Absolutely not.
The irony of this story is he was killed by the knee of a policeman. If you remember it was just a few short years ago that quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem in silent protest to the unjustified police killings of African Americans. His action was quickly adopted by many players in the NFL and every Sunday we saw them all taking a knee prior to the game. Kaepernick was promptly fired by the San Francisco 49ers and was ostracized by other teams who regarded him as an unpatriotic troublemaker and he never played in the NFL again. His career was ruined for protesting and highlighting that Black Lives Matter. Instead of acknowledging what he was protesting, his critics were deeply offended by his disregard for the flag and thought that was more egregious. “Taking a Knee” as it was referred to quickly picked up steam and it was adopted by many sports personalities. They became targets of Trump and were treated despicably.
Now a policemen has used his own knee to publicly take the life of an African American. Where is the justice?
Today I am ashamed of America.
Taking a Knee
We watched as the horror unfolded He lay helpless on the ground Hands behind back Cuffs binding wrists Immobile Yet a knee on the neck Unnecessary Arrogance and power pressing down hard Choking life from his body Oh the irony of the knee! Silent Sunday protests Peacefully and respectfully objecting to police brutality Taking a knee Only to be Criticized Deviled Ostracized Unemployed and threatened with silent warnings You take a knee and our knee will Take the breath from your body ... and they did Racism lives on in the USA Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing © Rest In Peace George Floyd, you will never be forgotten and your death will not be in vain. #blacklivesmatter Prompts RDP - For our good FOWC - Thief
Unhealed Wounds
Unhealed Wounds
She saw herself again as a child and wept the same tears The horror of that day Carved in the mind Deep, open wounds that will never heal Still Haunting Residing within her like a parasite Eating away at her core Her so called surprise gift was that of domestic sexual abuse from someone trusted A father figure A family member A manipulator A maniac A thief who stole her life Robbed her of dignity Demanding her silence Here at this very place Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing © In response to Sadje’s What do you See photo challenge Word Prompts Domestic - RDP Maniac - FOWC A word beginning with CH - Stream of Consciousness Saturday
La Reine des Glaces
La Reine des Glaces
The Ice Queen Coldness represented strength A hardened heart closed Inaccessible Once a princess In dazzling blue with emotions overflowing Tender and true Until Jack Ice doused her blue fire Leaving her with only a trail of tears Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing © Sarah is hosting D'Verse Poets and has prompted us with the magical names of seeds. She asked us to choose a few from this list and weave a poem. The ones I chose are italicized: Black Beauty Trail of Tears Lazy housewife Princess Purple queen Jacob’s cattle The Czar Wizard Golden acre Dazzling blue Purple sword Jack Ice Reine des Glaces Blue fire Aurora Tender and true Image by dragonboy7557 from Pixabay
Blurred View
Blurred View
Seeing the broken pieces of what is left of this fractured life laying before me I am unable to make sense of what is happening Uncontrollable tears blur my view It matters not what is presented to me but how I feel inside my heart Did I feel it slipping through my fingers before it crashed to the floor? Did I miss the warning signs? I stare into the sky as the last light of dusk is fading Pink hues painted across the evening canvas A moment to pause and wonder at the beauty before me but it means nothing for I care no more Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing © I response to Sue Vincent's weekly write/photo challenge D’Verse Poets Open Link Night hosted by Grace
First Responder
First Responder
I close my eyes
but the picture
remains imprinted
in my brain
The sounds will
not cease
The cries
ring in my ears
and the terrors
continue
I come
to this place
of peace
to shut out
the world
and its ugliness
The sadness
loss and agony
to which
I bear witness
Suffering
the atrocities
of mankind
they cannot heal
So how can I?
With survivor’s guilt
I carry the anguish
of their ruined lives
Unable to save
or protect them
Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing ©
Sue Vincent's Weekly Write/Photo
Promote Yourself Monday - Go Dog Go Cafe
The Glass Is Empty
The Glass Is Empty
Through the bottom
of a glass
the world is
kinder, manageable
For as long
as the buzz lasts
Slipping into
an alcohol-soaked
oblivion
Numbing the agony
temporarily
until a different
pain wakens
the dysfunctional
corpse
Hammering the head
into familiar
regret
Looking out my
front door
I see no new horizon
No muse
to inspire
or cheering squad
to lift my weary soul
and reconfirm
my existence
Just a familiar fog
that will obscure
the goodness
I can no longer find
without liquid courage
and confuse
those of us
who see no point
in anything anymore
Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing ©
This poem was written in response to
today's prompts and is not indicative
of me or my life 🙂
Lillian is hosting D'Verse Poets
Open Link Night
Prompts:
Glass - FOWC
Muse - Word of the Day
Looking out my front door - RDP
Daily Haiku – Sun. December 1, 2019
Haiku
A thoughtless comment
leaving lingering feelings
of sadness and pain
Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing ©