Renewal
For some standing on the brink of abyss,
swirling oceans below and angry skies
jetted with lightning above,
acceptance comes
before the plunge.
Tear-soaked cheeks
with hands fitted in clutching knobs,
but acceptance comes.
For some it takes stepping off the edge
and plummeting to violent waves and sharp rocks below,
a minnow in a pool of thrashing sharks.
You’ll resurface
dragging yourself bruised and bleeding
from the maelstrom
still alive,
but wondering why.
Renewal isn't a light switch to brighten all darkness
or a perfect sunrise of pinks, oranges and yellows
from that rippling dark night.
Renewal is accepting scraped knees
and knowing marks outside the lines don't ruin the picture.
Renewal is a wave, not the whole ocean.
Ash Like Soil
I watch tight eyes
through coming waves
in a hospital bed
and hold her hand,
while others more qualified than me say,
“push!”
I can’t begin to understand the sacrifice,
only knowing good things come from hard situations:
burned forests creating fertile soil,
mighty trees crashing in violent windstorms and rotting
allowing the growth of mushrooms,
or the force of water cutting curves in soil
and forming beautiful canyons.
A world apart from the greens of outside,
a life is invited to open hearts
through tightly pressed eyes.
Matt McGuirk teaches and lives with his family in New Hampshire. BOTN 2021 nominee with words in various lit mags and a debut collection with Alien Buddha Press called Daydreams, Obsessions, Realities available on Amazon and linked on his website.
Website: http://linktr.ee/McGuirkMatthew Twitter: @McguirkMatthew Instagram: @mcguirk_matthew.