Category: Poetry

Write the Darkness

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Life, Poetry, Writing 

Where we’re place 
may yield happiness 
or sorrow

True happiness 
must be wild and untamed 
overgrown 
tendrils sprouting 
through the broken windowpanes

The childhood bedroom 
where you hid 
under thin blankets 
coerced you 
only to a trail 
of grief

Again led 
to the dying 
of summer

What was allowed 
as transparent as glass 
paramount 
on the path before you

Write the darkness 
and be still

The scars will heal

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

Image by Peter H from Pixabay

Between the Lines

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Life, Poetry, Writing 

The words 
flowing across the screen 
speak for me  

A voice 
when I have none

The words 
hurl daggers 
at unseen tormentors  

They also caress 
and soothe 

The words 
curse 
scream 
sob 
or whisper  

They also 
laugh 
chuckle 
and delight

With them I am lifted 
to ecstasy 
flying 
on invisible wings

Or 
they show the view 
of my mental torture 
my cell 
of hellish nightmares

No matter the day 
I always find myself 
between the lines

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

 

The Crooked Path

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Life, Poetry 

I've knocked my head against the wall until I bleed. 
This is what it took to get my attention. 
I seemed to take the hard way, the road less traveled.  
I've started my life over again many, many times.
Started from scratch.  From nothing.  
Each time a little further along this Crooked Path.
I began as a lump of clay, cast into the mud along
with the rest of the muck.
I managed to crawl upon the shore and bake myself in
the sun until I was cracked and bleeding. 
This is a process I repeated over and over again.  
I would then retreat back into the muck seeking 
the cool mud to soothe, only to realize that I must
push myself up and out.
At last, finding myself on the path, head up, shoulders 
back, I trudged forward tentatively, turning left when 
I should have turned right. 
Backing up and taking a different turn at times, 
but always the way that I wanted. 
Not what was best. 
But what I wanted. 
I knew that the outcome would be the same. 
Finally, one day as I was sitting in the mud 
once again, I bowed my head. 
I had prayed many times, but not like this.
I prayed, not to be lead to the right path. 
Not to be helped from the mud.  
I prayed instead to see; see the hand that had 
always been there. The arms that had always 
welcomed me.  
I prayed for faith.  

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

My path to God has been a very long one. I came
to Him late in life. This is my expression 
of that journey. I still struggle, but my prayers
have been answered tenfold.  

A very special Thank You to Chuck, 
at The Reluctant Poet. He gave me the
line, 'The Crooked Path' that inspired 
this piece. 

Thank you for joining me on this journey. 
Penny <3
Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

Dear Loneliness

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Poetry 

Dear Loneliness,

You've been there 
watching 
my rituals

I lay 
counting stars 
my true colors 
on display 

embracing you 
like 
a lover 

self retribution

what we 
inherit is not 
our destiny 

the shape of a thorn 
does not dictate 
the severity 
of the wound  

maps
and memories   
simply 
reflect
the past 

not a 
prediction
of tomorrow

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

Inner Interrogations

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Poetry 


My interrogator 
was ruthless 
casting doubt 
on answers 
lies 
I had told 
myself 

I denied 
denied what I saw 
right 
in 
front 
of 
me

The rituals 
repeated 
my history 
looking 
me square in the face

Wringing 
the facts from me 
one 
at a time

Finally 
spent 
and weak 
from 
validity

I stood 
tall and erect 
to face tomorrow 

leaving 
the past 
behind 
me

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

Writing Prompts-Some Things Are Meant To Be

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Poetry, Writing 

I have had a terrible itch to write the past few days but nothing 
came.  So I tried something different.  I Googled "Writing 
Prompts for Poems" and came up with tons of ideas.  So I 
browsed the prompts and wrote down the words or phrases that
I liked: 

Standing in line 
The sound of silence 
Overgrown 
Trust issues 
Locked in a jar 
On shaky ground 
Life-as planned 
Dear Reader 
Some things are meant to be 
Strangest dreams

From these words, I came up with the poem below. 
I call it "Some Things Are Meant To Be". Not my 
best work, and I didn't use everything, but I 
like the way it turned out. See what you think. :)

Dear reader 
some things 
are meant to be 

The sound 
of silence 
overgrown 
under the lid 
of this jar 

I've got trust issues 
and stand on 
shaky ground 
giving me 
the strangest 
dreams 

Life- 
not as planned 
but some things 
are meant to be

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

So what tricks do you use to get your self inspired to write?

Something Worth Losing

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Poetry, Prose 


I've never had 
anything  
of real value 

Just a few 
trinkets  

I've no 
palatial dwelling 
no shiny chariot  

I have no
gold or silver 
to barter with 

My meals are 
simple fair 

My riches 
have amounted to 
the warmth 
of the sun 
chasing away the chills.
 
The earth 
prosperous and abundant 
with life 
all around me.  

I have water 
enough to quench 
these lips 
and nourish 
my garden


All that I 
require 
is provided me

But, you...  

Having you 
gave me something 
worth losing

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

Eureka! The Humble Thesaurus

by Penny Wilson Writes, posted in Life, Poetry

Why is the thesaurus so great?  This is resource that will expand and improve your creativity in ways you never knew!  This common tool is something that I had overlooked for YEARS!

I’ve been blogging for several years now.  5 or 6, I think.  My blog has changed and evolved a few different times.  Right now, I mostly focus on poetry.  I now write my poetry with a minimum of 2 tabs open on my computer.  One to actually WRITE the work and another, my new-found Best Friend, the thesaurus.

If I am trying to convey a feeling and I don’t seem to be able to find the right word for it, I always jump over to the thesaurus.  In poetry, you want what you are trying to express to flow in a way that is pleasing to the reader.  If it doesn’t, your work will fall flat.  One word can make all the difference in the world.

I’ll give you a few simple examples.  If I want to say that I’m angry in a poem or story, rather than use the word angry, my thesaurus suggests fury, indignation, rage, passion and many more.  I find these much more creative ways to express anger.  Don’t you?

Another example.  If I want to express that I am sad, my trusty thesaurus suggests the words bitter, dismal, wistful and many others.  Sound better?  I think so too.

To me, using the thesaurus can make or break a poem or story for you.

In the tiny Elfchen below, titled A Splash of Starlight, in the 4th line, I used the word illuminated rather than the boring word, lit.  A much more eloquent way of expressing the same thing.

a
splash of
starlight bathed the
night and illuminated our
love

My revelation of the thesaurus, described above, may be something Old Hat to many of you out there.  But to many others, this may just be the thing that unlocks that creative inner voice that has been trapped inside you!  You can find Thesaurus . com HERE. 

So, tell me, what revelation in writing have you discovered that helps you?  Please share!  

Copyright (C) 2020 Penny Wilson

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels