by

poetry: lunch with jenny

i am burning it down she says
while we eat meat and rice
in the afternoon. flames crackle 
between us scorching nearby tables 
and turning sorrys into ash. our 
daughters watch us shoot lasers 
from our eyes while holding 
hands. we laugh at time shedding
worn-out shadows until we sing
our siren call center stage. fire
leaps from our naked tired bodies
to transform old beliefs until 
they break free or bloom or evolve;
anything but stand still. wiggle
it loose until it snaps. forget
how it looks. our mothers didn’t
know but we do. we dare each other
to burn brighter and brighter. we
promise to not look away. hearts
can be soft and still rage. let’s
get together again soon, i say.

23 thoughts on “poetry: lunch with jenny”

    • Thank you. I’m leaning more into the rage I’ve suppressed my entire life and wondering what it looks like to have healthy anger. There was never space for me to be mad, but what if there was? Could I tell someone they made me angry or hurt my feelings without then apologizing for that feeling and thinking it’s my job to fix it? That’s the journey I’m on now.

      Like

      Reply

    • Thank you! I was told years ago “just wait until your 50…that’s when you start caring less what people think of you.” I’m not quite there yet, but I feel it. The anger I’ve repressed most of my life is coming out and I’m learning to express it without hurting other people. It’s very healing.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thank you. This one bubbled out of me and I felt relief when I finished. Trying to find a way to express anger and stay kind is something I’m only really starting to understand.

      Like

      Reply

    • Thank you so much, Jennifer! It’s hard to look at our anger and realize it has to go somewhere. I’ve taught my kids how to express it without hurting others, but I’m still learning how to let it out myself.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment