A Poet Reimagined

Distant are the days
of the poet I left behind
flexing her lyrical muscle
into the depths of night.

Wearing each stanza
like a bride, her virgin gown
she shed them with abandon
into a symphony of clouds.

But those days have forsaken me.

And yet today I shed again
haunted by the rhapsody led astray
but much like time’s erasure
a mere echo remains.

I peel away from my undoing
urging my poem to be seen
for it is as raw as the silence
encircling a hollow scream.

Tokyo, November 2024

I’ve been struggling with my ever-elusive pen, which has drifted away from poetry of late. Passions are mysterious that way—we often can’t pinpoint what keeps us from them, even when they remain essential to our being. While I can’t say precisely what held me back, I know who to thank for A Poet Reimagined.

My first muse is Japan—a world apart from mine—whose introspective beauty and quiet grace have inspired me deeply.

My second muse is even more profound. Chris @alchemistpoetry is a kind, charismatic, and altruistic soul whose beautiful spirit is evident through his words: No sunset has ever convinced me to look away from her. Thank you, Chris, for reminding me not to look away from the power of poetry and for your selfless efforts with Project 11/11 supporting suicide prevention.