My poems took me my entire life to produce.
I have flowered from a seed hiding,
germinating, in the dirt,
The stories I tell are non-scripted aberrations
of time, travel and tension.
of time, travel and tension.
My earlier work was absurd,
violent, non-linear and sad.
violent, non-linear and sad.
Lesions oozing
from the world of stirred realities
and confused illusions.
from the world of stirred realities
and confused illusions.
I never knew which was which …
but I always felt
every breath deeply
and every tear dramatically –
every breath deeply
and every tear dramatically –
that is when I could cry…
most times my eyes were blind and dry.
I had seen, and given, too much of myself
to produce expendable moisture of any kind.
I gave away my Soul
each moment
while creating the art of my living.
each moment
while creating the art of my living.
I gave away my Soul
performing for the masses
of undesiring audiences.
performing for the masses
of undesiring audiences.
I no longer stand
on window ledges and rooftops
watching pedestrians,
on window ledges and rooftops
watching pedestrians,
shouting out to them,
at them
or with them…
at them
or with them…
Nor do I write of wounds
to perpetuate
the violent complexity
of my inner struggle,
the violent complexity
of my inner struggle,
and Self-defeated Self-esteem.
I no longer bang my head
against walls, sidewalks
or doorways to the unknown.
against walls, sidewalks
or doorways to the unknown.
I no longer roam the streets homeless,
rejected and denied
with no place to sleep,
and no sleep to reap deeply fulfilling dreams.
There are things that I have seen
that no one should ever have to see.
that no one should ever have to see.
There are words that I have heard spoken
that no one should ever have to hear.
that no one should ever have to hear.
Due to it all, this experience called life -
of living hell
and questionable mental sanity -
of living hell
and questionable mental sanity -
I have blossomed.
I have flowered from a seed hiding,
germinating, in the dirt,
into a woman forged of fortitude.
Strong to battle standing up
the chaos of the world within,
the chaos of the world within,
and the world without.
I think I am foolish enough
to always find a store of optimism,
to always find a store of optimism,
to forgive everything
and wake up the next day,
fully present,
and wake up the next day,
fully present,
having forgot the ruin
and destruction of the past day before.
and destruction of the past day before.
I truly believe that I am a loving person,
and that each moment is an opportunity
to redefine myself, to myself, for myself.
to redefine myself, to myself, for myself.
I fully believe that each day is an exercise
in discovering new ways to love myself,
in discovering new ways to love myself,
no matter what…
and so the journey goes on until it ceases to exist…
and my eternal, I, further ventures
into the wonderland of the bodiless soul of adventure,
and I will never cease, nor desist,
because without a doubt, I know, I fully exist.
because without a doubt, I know, I fully exist.
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
William F. Scolavino wrote;
“The height of your accomplishments
