Weekly Poetry & Visuals: No 7

Creative Spark

I was away in Italy, visiting my family roots. Milan and Lake Como are so much more spectacular than I expected. The last few weeks also brought more ancestral healing, stories that emerged, and connections that started to blossom. All in the middle of personal heartaches. Most of those poems will stay in my poetry notebook, but here are a few that I’m ok sharing.

Creative Spark

I’m learning to be present,
marinating in the heavy chest,
acknowledging the uncomfortable,
breathing through slowly, no rush.

My creative spark returned.
Did I really have to bounce 
from the bottom 
to pick up the brush?

HerStory

I picked five rings from the velvet box
carrying parts of my history
of love, personal growth and heritage.

Decided to melt and deconstruct,
reshape my narrative into a talisman,
to co-create the story as I move forward.

Grandad

I spoke to you on the phone
always glad when you pick up.
Mortality gets so real with age.
You sounded playful as always,
on the bench, people watching.
I asked about your siblings:
seven children, but two died young.
Five grew up, one passed just yesterday.
You’re burying a son and a brother 
within a month, yet it didn’t show in your voice.
Is it hard to be surprised at 90?

DEE STOPPA