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poetry: building another new start

with picking out bright yellow sunflowers from Trader Joe’s and hoping my eyes aren’t still puffy from crying myself to sleep last night

with wearing my expensive Dior lip gloss 026, intense mauve shimmer, because it makes me feel fancy

with drinking water from the turtle cup with the metal straw, the one my best friend made for me, because it makes everything taste better

with seeing the text I sent my dad about my feelings was read on Sunday but he’s still not responded, and deciding not to send another one

with wearing the colorful flower dress my four-year-old nephew said was his favorite because it makes me look like a garden

with playing the absolute stupidest game ever on the Nintendo Wii with the teens, drinking Grimace’s birthday shakes, and laughing so hard I remember kegel exercises are important

with waking up early to water outside and saying hi to three bumblebees and one hummingbird who lingered close enough I could see how incredible their wings are

with moving my watermelon plant to another part of the yard because it’s getting choked out by the enormous pumpkin leaves and wanting it to have a chance to survive

with watching all 10 episodes of Drag Me to Dinner with my daughter and wanting to hug every LGBTQ person on the planet and tell them they are loved

with having teary conversations with my teens about respect and communication knowing they will always have me and each other in their corner no matter what

with replacing the bowl of old candy on the counter with a bowl of fresh apples because I can’t make others love me the way I want to be loved, but I can eat healthier

with turning to words again and not worrying if they are good enough because that’s not the point and I can show up exactly how I am

33 thoughts on “poetry: building another new start”

  1. Yes to all of this! I worked all day Monday, open to close, and when I came home Ray had a Grimace shake waiting for me. 🙂 I love all of these reasons and things. You deserve better than your dad, let him go.

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  3. This was such an uplifting shortlist – loved the variety of different small gestures you’ve done to move forward through your healing. 🙂 It’s easy to forget / ignore the simple pleasures when everything piles up and becomes overwhelming ❤

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  7. First impression of this poem – beautiful. But that’s wrong to say. It’s not the poem but the person from whom it came – the beauty is all yours my dear friend. Part of that beauty is what is drawn out from so many people – what they all said, I say that too. Blood relations, yea, that’s nice when it is willing to be true blood. But I learned some good years back, who I most call family are people who have nothing to do with blood, but by heart. Just see how much beauty likes you being here. That is how I see you.

    And yes, poetry is my craft to attend. You know. And of craft, this is a simple wonderment. Simple, unexpected, yet there, in plain view, vulnerable, strong, radiant. Can honestly happily admit, wish such a poem came from my lips.

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    • You make me blush with such kindness, Neil! Thank you. I’m following your advice and writing a poem daily right now. It feels like the words are trying to lead me somewhere, but I’m not quite sure if that’s true. Maybe it’s more like dancing with words and we take turns leading. It’s been fun to lean in fully to poetry and write more.

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  8. Beautiful Apple 🍎🍏!
    Impressing written words in poem. Excellent some lines, “with wearing the colorful flower dress, make me like garden !
    Nice some so big little moments. Very nice you recommend flower & some related your relations.
    Thanks , Bridgette!

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  14. Love the big things mixed with the little things, the personal with the natural….every moment can be a new start! Beautifully expressed, Bridgette! 💞💞💞

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