Open Hearts (Wattys2018)

Feeling Good

Usually when I write,
Words just tumble
In a downward slope,
Like ink is my breath,
Exhaling all hope,
But nope,
Not this time,
See this poem
is about feeling good,
Not depression
Or past suppression,
This is more of a
Recent history lesson,
How I felt the presence
Of a blessing,
That I still can not explain...

Did you ever just wake up
With that Orbit tooth tingle
Sitting on your shoulder?
Like "I love you"
Was reciprocated,
When you meant what you told her?
Like for once that boulder
Shackled tightly to your conscience
Got the hint its obnoxious
And now you're weightless with control and composure?

For once,
This is about the beauty of a rainbow
And the pot of gold you actually get to attain,
This is about the kids who breakdance on A Trains
Solely to entertain,
This is about helping a woman up the stairs
With baby in tow,
The slow pitter patter of rain
And flakes of snow
Each completely unique,
Babbling creeks
Of crystal cool refreshment,
Comfortable silence,
Silver linings
When sun bursts through damp doleful days,
This is about catching beats that make you move
And closing your eyes to that groove
In your personal preserve
And precious pattern discerned,
This is about
Fresh powder on a mountain begging,
that throaty V8 revving,
Fresh java aromas pegging
Your nose hairs
On a sleep deprived morning
This is about
Heroes
Those who've been overseas
And those who live quietly among us
Blending in like a light breeze,
That breeze that teases knees
'Till you just
Sit down in a grass field
Lay back
Look up
Feel young
Smile,
This poem is about feeling good

And this poem
Is about poetry,
It's to bring that smile
To a blind man's face
Because he understands
What he cannot see,
It's the music of language
Conveying feelings indefinitely,
The art of letters creating negative space on a page,
This is about poetry
And unexpected smiles,
It's that feeling you get when you just get home
And your puppy runs uncontrollably up your leg
Like your pocket's the bone,
The feeling of not alone

This poem is a breakthrough,
See I'm trying to break circles
And stop chasing my own tail
Because
Time wasted
Won't prevail
If I'm facing time without bail,
So my grace rains in furious hail
An assault full scale
Where pain's stake crumbles frail,
This is about feeling good,
It's about roller disco in Central Park on Sundays,
This is about
A little girl slow dancing with her toes on
Her grandfather's loafers
So he knows her
Soul's taking over
That glimmer in his eyes
When he passes

This poem is about feeling good,
This poem is about poetry
And its my redemption

I've been without words
Blurred
And somewhat obscured,
Like ghosts were staring in
But now on the verge
Of emerging,
Herds of adverbs
I got your verbal heroin
So I warily spin
The idiom of seraphim
And I'm pairing in
The message
That this is about feeling good

This poem is about poetry,
How poetry is showing me
Freedom,
Like doing 90 on a freeway freedom,
Sporadic street dances and flash mob freedom,
Sleep away camp romance freedom,
Like
Enhanced expansive refinances,
Like
Second chances
At freedom

This poem is about feeling good,
This poem is about poetry,
And this poem is about freedom
And free verse - though I did rehearse...
But only because
I want you to feel good!

This poem is about raising glasses
To heartfelt toasts at Tuesday dinner,
This poem is about
Finding that magic moment in a slow dance
When hearts align
And beat to the same rhythm
Of frenzied mayhem,
That clay hand
Of dexterity
Clinging to dangling prosperity
With sincerity,
That moment when you finally
Smell the clarity,
And pieces are falling into place
So fast
You can hardly keep pace
But taste
The interlaced grace
Of winning and losing a race
And how it really doesn't matter,
As long as you feel good
That your participate.

This is about feeling good,
This poem is about poetry
And how poetry is showing me
I can wind and lose,
That sometimes victory spews
From contradictory views
So my new found muse
Is infused
I'm enthused!
It's like a revelation
And a new discovery
I feel good like
An overdue hug,
I feel good like
Makeup sex,
Saying the alphabet backwards like ZYX
With my eyes closed,
I feel good like
Secrets exposed..

This is about feeling good,
This poem is about poetry
And if you misunderstood,
It's merely to make you feel good