Resolution.

still, the bird flies.

Lately it seemed like it was a real struggle to feel good about myself.

But sometimes, without even realizing it, I find myself smiling quietly.



Knowing me only for a few months
Juan told me something that hadn't occurred to anyone else;
though it was always on the surface
for me, it was past the tongue and lodged somewhere in my red and black brain.

Teague, you don't know what you want.




And Ernesto says to me, "Don't let the sun go down"
meaning that I should resolve conflict quickly
before it becomes too late.

It doesn't have much to do with 'conflict' anymore. It is a process of growing.

And I have to tell myself, "Remember who you are. Ozhaawaagiizhikwe. Yellow Sky Woman. Giizhik for sky, day, for the sun. Sol, the name I gave myself to keep root, so I could stay who I was in any language I chose to use."

I have cleared away the shadows, the dust, the ghosts.

I am left here.
And I'm okay.

I haven't felt this strong for years and years and years.
I loved my feet on the earth.
I loved my head in the sky.

Reviews

[h d e rushin]

"I have cleared away the shadows, the dust, the ghosts." No mea culpa or acknowledgement of fault or error on the part of those who might bring
you harm, but the full grasp of the "process of growing" that says
it's ok, go ahead, say, leave, signify, confess, suggest, hurt, love me.
I have renamed myself and I'm ok.

Quite a different twist on the movements of a love poem..Yet I like this
different twist.....nicely done, dana

[.]

~ i'm in awe of the poetry in your poetry... always inspires me... there's so much music in your choice of words... that i can always hear words humming... and you're very authentic... everything you write is so you... and this piece celebrates you beautifully... it's your heart's heartsong... thank you for sharing it... :)

[Shmoke-Sifted Heftlande..]

I would remind Ernesto to watch a John Waters film or two
fine piece of literature
the voice really comes alive after a few reads and the film of awareness jumps out of the ears
nicely done

[just_teague]

After I looked at it I realized it was the farthest thing from poetry, but the closest thing to my heart, and really what I needed to hear. I don't feel uncomfortable still leaving the poetry label, though the text itself is prosaic.

[Shmoke-Sifted Heftlander]

the prosaic in the context of this piece and in poems in general, is sort of like a brush technique or an syncopated upbeat...I think it's more about the relationship with the other elements than the ratio....you can't forget the el-ship...it's like tuning out the cadence and tonality of the voice, which isn't something to do with listening to the living word, unless you maybe have a specific purpose in mind or you're awareness-perimenting..I've been immersed in a strange world as of late; please excuse me, though no excuse may be available...but yeah it's a stronger piece aesthetically, than you may realize; that's the main concept :)