Words in My Head
I go to sleep with headphones on
to keep the brain occupied
and the demons at bay
Those words in my head
fill up any cracks
that would allow the
dark to get in
Went to bed with a
heart so heavy
The breath would barely come
Months of isolation
from ideas
from contact
from people-watching and
from new horizons
Even the fumes were gone
4:16 AM
I heard words
Poetry
A poet blazing his truth
His life
Lighting the dark
My heart stirred
My breathing quickened
And like an old furnace
My own words ignited once more.
The podcast I woke hearing — and which breathed oxygen to that dwindling ember inside — was a rerun of this episode of CBC’s Ideas: The Last Bohemian: Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
This post was created as part of the Poetry Friday challenge, hosted each week by a different poet. Today’s host, Michelle Kogan, is celebrating a birthday this weekend! Please enjoy her lovely poem on her blog and wish her a happy birthday in the comments.
Special shout-out to my friend and fellow poet, Christie Wyman, whose mutual love of Walden and writing has led me to my pandemic lifeline that has gotten me this far.
Friday Morning