30 for 30 Happy Poetry Month!

 

So it's that time again.  I love it. I hate it. I am challenged by it.  But here it goes anyway.  It's national poetry month family, and I'm going to TRY...and I mean TRY, (did I mention TRY) to complete this :) If I can't do a poem a day, I will do my best to post some spoken word weekly. But here goes ya'll, Day 1 poem 1.

Day 1,

afternoon grey skies

can’t drown or damper mood

too solid with these words…

Anger used to be brutal;

like, head pounding;

heavy particles piercing 

backs of eye; 

just want to 

scream & strike 

kind of anger

mama said,

use your words

Huffing & puffing 

throttled down to 

deep breaths

& 

violent shakes 

settled, as 

my mind & imagination

sought out words

Mama said,

now use them

& I did, and have,

for over 30 years 

I soaked all five senses 

in ink and sound,

keyboards, message boards,

being bored, and black and 

bleeding…

Them words 

showed up–

Not always the best or brightest,

but they showed

Sometimes slow,

sometimes slipping, and dripping 

in mistakes

But,

they

showed, up!

In afternoons,

under grey skies 

skies that threaten rain

but that’s all good, 

because now,

I know how to use my words.

(C)2026 Clarence Barbee