Naked Soul

Sometimes I just can’t put
one foot in front of the other.
no matter which way I turn
stones are flying,
aimless, haphazard,
all directed at me.

I can’t duck from them,
I can’t escape them,
I can’t find any space
to slide between them,
not even sleep protects me;
whether I move, or stay,
they pelt me.

Sometimes I just want to crawl
to the center of the earth,
find somewhere
where these stones can’t reach me,
curl up, and cry.

But I don’t.

I keep treading water
because it’s the only way
I can hold your hand.
 
 

june 2011
Janet Reid