Pictures & Poems: I Thou

| melissakircher

IThouthis me I call myself

I loosen my grasp

and fall into we

the flow in which

we all rush river fast

and meander river slow

full of rocks and weeds and twigs and fish

algae and tiny insects

skimming the surface of the stream

me dissolves

well-disguised narcissism

resolves in I-Thou

the collective us

I carry you

you carry me

no matter the color of your skin

or reproductive organs

or who you sleep with

or the way in which you know god

the animating force of life

enmeshed, embodied, emoted, ensnared

and transformed

what grace thou art

when self bows down

at the feet of other

and tight-fisted opinion

washes the soil of hate and pride

from both our toes

and we are made new

in the clean, cool river

 

“I Thou” – Melissa Kircher

Pictures and Poems: Add Your Light

| melissakircher
Add Your Light

when everyone around you falls

away

and darkest hearts

ruin your day

when fires burn out

and applause fades to gray

when the vibes are getting you down

I’ll seek you out

add my light

find your crown

when friends and foes

start to look the same

and doubt fans the sinister flames

when kingdoms burn

right to the ground

I’ll add my light

find your crown

when sunrise halts

and demons play

when love and hate

twist round and round

I’ll take your hand

drag you out of the bounds

remind you who you are

find that damn crown

don’t hide your face

don’t second guess the way

you know your heart

go on

add your light

you know what to say

“Add Your Light” – Melissa Kircher

Pictures and Poems: It’s Okay

| melissakircher

itsokay.jpgif I looked at the clouds today

pouring out their wrath

I might question

the benevolence of it all

and on the other side of the world

stands a girl

ushering the water from the sky

with gratefulness after a long drought

two halves of a whole

the sides chattering at each other

and we must listen to both

then there is heart

dripping feelings like runoff

and my mind divides again

just like it’s supposed to

sinking down into the weight of matter

fingers and toes and noses

consciousness touching the earth

cracking open the spectrum of emotion

what a mess we are

a perfect storm

hashtag blessed, but for real

with brains and arms and all the feels

connected in an endless loop

the vibration behind reality whispering

peace

“It’s Okay” – Melissa Kircher

Pictures and Poems: Orbits

| melissakircher

Orbits.jpg

time goes by

and I

see all the reasons why

you and I

are in each other’s orbits

lessons learned

retinas burned

waiting for you to change

don’t stare at the sun

they say

but we do anyway

because we’re babes pretending to be grown

and we’ve both known

it’s not you, it’s me

hiding

from all I’m meant to be

and this is what we call

a relationship

two people rubbing elbows

and they don’t know

they are each other’s salvation

and not

weighing in

on the past that’s oh so present

no, that’s not what I meant

oh wait, yes I did

now I know to love you

like lovers do

became my own darkness spilling out the light

“Orbits” – Melissa Kircher

 

 

Do Not Be Ashamed: Pictures and Poems

| melissakircher

DoNotBeAshamed

go ahead, look me in the eye

there’s nothing left to hide

burnished to a polished shine

turned dull

the ache

the ache

let the damn mirror break

 

do not be ashamed

 

we all have wounds

where the pain likes to play

a stranger, a soul

someone I didn’t know

not now what I behold

what I see is fire, passion

lightning gold

when thunder rolls

we planted a garden

under the gray

 

this day is dawning

bathed in moonlight

and night

is no longer the death knell

I may never understand

what it is that drives you

to see me burn

but what I see now

don’t look away

 

stay

 

a me, not perfect, but good enough

and where places rubbing rough

is what makes it all interesting

do not be ashamed

you are loved you are claimed

 

the is the me that was lost

 

oh how I love you

you are found

do not be afraid

do not be afraid

 

you are found

you are found

 

-Melissa Kircher

 

Delicate As A: Pictures and Poems

| melissakircher

img220.jpg

delicate as a flower — no

takes away all of my power — so

bendable, breakable

makes me expendable

I have no choice, you’ve taken my voice

by making me something beautiful

up on a pedestal

there is no credit — oh

then you go ahead and rip me down

pluck all my petals

testing my metal

don’t you know this queen owns a crown?

delicate this word that

saps all the strength that I do — have

feet on floor

grounded, I’m sounding

I’m pounding, I’m peeling

breaking all of your ceilings

tall above the crowd

I won’t bring my sisters down

or brothers

the thing about flowers is

you put them in vases

trapped in glass cases

and yet every year more grow in

filling the fields — and

choking the weeds — and

then you will know

the flowers are winning

friend, we’re mad grinning

while all of this healing flows

 

“Delicate As A” – Melissa Kircher