"The Journey" By, Mary Oliver



One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.

The Crazy Lady

Feeling kind of like Alice falling down the rabbit hole
into another world
a dream world

In my mind there's always these hallways
many doors
filled with the past
the could be's
the wants to happen

This crazy lady
she banged and screamed for years
trapped behind the door
it was old battered and evil looking

Some one opened the door
they heard her cries for help
now she wanders these halls
hair standing straight up
clothes torn and dirty
full of a nasty stench

She's not crazy, she's desperate
full of hope
still looking for help
looking for escape from the hell she was in

Who put her there
why was she trapped
what was in that room that made her
look to be so crazy

It's not cool having this crazy lady
wandering around in my head
she can be scary and annoying
anger builds
sadness creeps along the walls and into my soul

I'm not used to it
only voices whispers of noise
from beyond those doors

Now I hear the foot steps and doors slamming
doors opening with me being around the corner
fear of what she may unleash
hope in that here is help

But from a crazy lady?

I see the sadness in her eyes
I know it's there
she's not crazy
she was trapped
she needs a voice
she needs life!

"Checkmate" By, Shannon Elsom

~Checkmate~
By, Shannon Elsom

I've been here before
I know the scene
When everything that was certain
Is not quite what it seems
When you take a bite of that polished apple
And find it rotten to the core
A bitter taste of reality
Shocking open new doors

Yes…
I've been here before
I know the scene
But the plot is not the only thing not quite what it seems
I'm not a weak woman
My power is vast
I have a fire in my belly
A soul built to last
I may have been wounded
My name dragged through the mud
My love has been man-handled
Not treated with kid gloves
But my heart is wide open
It’s beat…
Fearlessly free
Good luck trying to pull a fast one on me

Bite into my apple 
You’ll find substance at its core
Yet lips that lie will be denied
Left hungering for more
No matter how you plot
Or desperately you may scheme
My love is my power
It will bring you to your knees

Play with the Queen of Hearts
And you will lose your pretty head
I’m not to be trifled with
Perhaps you were misled
You pulled a card from the deck of my past
You toyed with love like a game
But it is I who will have the last laugh
With my arrow’s steady aim

Yes…
I’ve been here before
I know well the scene
Oh, silly foolish boy
Things are not what they seem

"The Siren's Call" By, Shannon Elsom

~The Siren's Call~
By, Shannon Elsom

Like a bee to honey
A moth to a flickering flame
Drawing together opposites
To meld and make one
That which had been torn asunder

Oh, sweet journey of the pilgrim heart
Setting out on a maiden voyage
Upon the ocean of Divine Love
To arrive at the shore of Destiny
Whole and fulfilled

The call home echoes
Within the soul's corridors
Blotting out fear and doubt
Leaving only absolute
Truth of Grace

"Mama" By, Shannon Elsom

~Mama~ 

By, Shannon Elsom 

Her light shines within me,
Illuminating...
Casting Her glow upon my shadowy depths.
Her Siren call entrancing,
I ebb and flow...
Her every murmur coaxing my tides.
Her love flows through me,
Slow and smooth...
Like black-strap molasses.
Thick and moist...
As a balmy summer's eve.
Intoxicating me with her essence...
Perfumed honey-wine.
Her secrets...
Like fruit ripened on the vine,
Bursting with the promise of juiciness.
She waits...
To be plucked and savored.
Her power grows inside me,
As ancient incantations...
Spun from the wise lips of Crones.
Her serpentine rattle calls my soul to dance,
Tracing sacred circles...
All move and breathe to the rhythm of Gaia's drum.
Her presence watches over me,
As raven, moon...
Sky, claw.
In the pools of Her eternal gaze,
My own vision is washed clear...
Baptizing my eyes in beauty.
I stare into the face of the Goddess,
My reflection...
In the Cosmic mirror. 

Looking in

I found myself in the mind of the young teen
sitting in the back of the class
quiet and alone

Lost and scared out of her mind
not fitting in
not knowing who she is or what she wants

How do you mold yourself
when there is no form you will fit in?

Separated lives or so it felt
when she was at school and when she was home
it really didn't make much a difference
only she pulled away from everyone
for different reasons

The pain I feel when I remember those days
not fitting in my middle school
then to go home and feel like I was invisible

Wanting to fit in but I could never really feel the pull
the one that said yes this is calling to me
to live like this
to enjoy this and to have fun

Always just longing for some one to just tell me who I was
to tell me I was beautiful
to tell me I mean something to them
to belong

I found it!
switching schools
starting new

I feel that connection now
with that young lady
the one who shoved aside wanting to fit in
she was scared but pushed through
found friends that brought out the joy
her soul was joyous and full of adventure

Suddenly the need to feel wanted was gone
the needs were altogether different
the need to be myself
the need to put me first
the need to not twist my self to please others
the need to be respected
the need to smile!

Oh I have missed you young one
the one who gave me the taste of freedom
who showed me I can kick ass
I can say I NEED! and get it myself

The strength to stand up
and not to be taken advantage of

Welcome home love
I will respect you
I will honor and feed this soul
this Goddess that lives within
trust
treasure and most of all
explore!