Welcome back to Member Monday.  It’s a pleasure to feature a poem by poet, storyteller and children’s author, Linda Boyden.  You can purchase a hardback copy of Linda’s newest picture book Boy and Poi Poi Puppy at All About Books.  Be sure to come and hear Linda speak about the importance of diversity in children’s literature at our September Writers Forum meeting.  Welcome, Linda!

One Finger Shaking

By Linda Boyden ©2014

The tipping point reached

nothing left

no time

no possibility of

renouncing the demon

grabbing the reins and

galloping toward new habits.

 

the old ones have you

in a chokehold

the familiar temptations

to live forever young

the way you want

without rules

You’re Pinocchio

choosing the easy life

drifting on a high

seeing vistas denied to

us lowly drones.

 

The demons whispered

You’re immortal

above it all

so you took on

that devilmaycare swag

that nothing can snare me

scare me

stop me

to live in

a YOLO state of mind.

 

But a little becomes

a little more

and a little more

and a little more

to ease the pain

erase the misery

drown the regrets.

 

You fly

You soar

in the crimson fog.

You don’t NEED it

you want it

the crave

the taste

the zing,

the ping

the rush until

you melt into the mire

stagger to the mirror

and look into

the face of a jackass.

 

One finger, shaking,

traces its outline,

“This is real.

This is all there is.

This is me.”

 

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