Poetry Appreciation #2

[atlantablack]

A Series of Gentle Reminders by Rudy Francisco

Delete the number,
trash the boxes
give the sweaters away.
Stop holding onto things
that do not fit you anymore.
Clutter has many faces.

Forgive them.
They didn’t apologize,
and you’re still mad,
but what I do know is this:
a closed fist
can punch through a wall,
but you can’t fix the hole
until you open your hands.

The past
is one of the few things
more stubborn than we are.
It will not change
and doesn’t care if
you have a better idea
of how the story
should’ve ended.

Healing begins
when we stop trying to run
backwards on the escalator
and embrace whatever will
keep us moving forward.

It’s hard
being alive,
but it looks
so good on you.
Someone is happy
that you exist.

So many things have
tried to break you.
None of them turned in
their assignments.
I think that’s a good
reason to celebrate.
I heard it only takes
one person to be a parade.

The truth is
we aren’t here long enough
to drag around this much apathy.

Pluck a ream of smiles
from any place that has
a few extra laying around.
Stash one for yourself
and give the rest away
because some of us
are chewing on our last
spoonful of hope,
and sometimes, kindness
can feel like a full stomach.

Tell people you love them
while they can still hear you
because death doesn’t call
before it comes over.

Time will agree to play freeze tag
but will follow none of the rules.

Hey,

try not to be so hard on yourself.
We don’t know how long we’ll be on this planet
or what we’re supposed to do while we’re here.
We’re all just crashing into each other
and trying to fall in love with the collision.

from Excuse Me as I Kiss the Sky pg. 119-121

Comments

[greghousesgf]

cool poem!