With such little time
I must break free
Of all the darkness
Surrounding me
For light and love
Are surely near
The fact of that
Will soon be clear
© 2019 Michelle Cook
For a month of writing prompts, click here; Echoing desires
freedom
An unencumbered life
She realized
She couldn’t handle
The reality
Of the inevitable
So in her mind
A fated goodbye
Seemed entirely logical
It was too bad
Her heart
Could never agree
© 2019 Michelle Cook
For a month of writing prompts, click here; An unencumbered life
Jellyfish jolts
Prone to misfortune
And many blunders
As her poor mind
Would often wander
She made
A terrible mistake
Of getting up
At daybreak
And she set out
To the sea
Hoping for a day
Of soaring free
But the girl’s spirit
Led her astray
As the tide swept
Her cares away
And after that first
Erroneous step
She sighed from her
Nonchalant attempt
Because one stride
Became too many
As she nearly squashed
A silver jenny
And the next footfall
Was even worse
Such an unfortunate
Squishy curse
For that jellyfish
Wasn’t missed
And that pathetic girl
Just yelped and hissed
The stinging jolt
Was quite unamusing
Leaving her foot
Swollen and oozing
The unlucky girl
Had only wanted a day
To leave her burdens
Far away
But her carefree
And heedless endeavors
Were tragically
Tainted forever
© 2019 Michelle Cook
For a month of writing prompts, click here; Jellyfish jolts
Wide awake
My curiosity
Has been cured
The boundaries
Are no longer blurred
For the truth
Has been revealed
All those illusions
No longer concealed
And I’m better
Than before
Finally happy
For what’s in store
What a difference
A few weeks can make
When you’re finally
Wide awake
© 2019 Michelle Cook
Star-crossed
She was so very far
From where she wanted to be
If only her mind
Could’ve set her free
But her heart withheld
Even the slightest of chance
And so she was beholden
To her circumstance
© 2019 Michelle Cook
Conclusions
There’s truth to be found
In the most unlikely places
Small hidden kernels
In the most improbable spaces
And to find these concealed realities
Often makes our heads spin
An aha kind of moment
Lets loose from deep within
And it’s sort of freeing
When at last we conceive
All the things we were blind to
The things we wanted to believe
Makes it easier to move on
And let go of the past
To discover new avenues
That may conceivably last
It all starts with intuition
And listening to your gut
For that’s the only way
To determine what is what
© 2018 Michelle Cook
Leaning towards lazy
Do you ever just feel
Like you need a day to be lazy
The world keeps on spinning
Driving you crazy
And you just need a moment
To forget your life
Time to free yourself
From the pain, grief, and strife
Is it all too much
To ask for such a day
To let your mind wander
And be free to play
Can you imagine if you had that?
What would you even do?
A whole day to yourself
Could change your whole view
I wonder if any of us
Will ever find out
I’d like so much to hope for it
Rather than doubt
Guess it’s a decision
That we all must make
Should be an easy one
For the sanity of our own sake
I think determination is the key
We must fight for our own time
And regardless of what I think
It shouldn’t be a crime
So I’m voting for a day
To relax, sleep, and play
And I’m wondering…
Will you all join me today?
© 2018 Michelle Cook
Deliverance
Sinking beneath
The waves of regret
She remains so lost
No rescuer yet
And though she prays
For a wave of relief
She’s still consumed
By unending grief
Tonight she knows
She can’t continue on
By morning she feels
She’ll finally be gone
And so with ease
She lets herself fade
Telling herself
She can’t be afraid
By dawn her body
Will be limp and still
No longer used
As some cheap thrill
© 2018 Michelle Cook
Escape
Break the chain
Sever the tie
Rip the cord
Separate the link
Crush the union
Snap the grasp
Free the shackle
Demolish the connection
Disintegrate the bond
Cut the restraint
Fracture the grip
Bust the hold
Tear the binding
Shatter the attachment
Escape the torment
© 2018 Michelle Cook
I Write Because…
I write to…
Explore hidden realms beyond my reach
I write to…
See the universe in a different light
I write to…
Free myself from the confines of this world
I write to…
Hear my imagination think
I write to…
Escape to other dimensions in time
I write to…
Empower my introverted side
I write to…
Give my soul a much needed rest
I write to…
Pretend that I am someone I’m not
I write to…
Become a happier self
I write to…
Share my innermost thoughts and emotions
I write to…
Give hope to the hopeless
I write to…
Allow myself a few moments of weakness
I write to…
Make people laugh and cry
I write to…
Challenge myself in numerous ways
I write to…
Reach out to the brokenhearted
I write to…
Be daring and free from the chains that imprison me
I write to…
Create stories that I can call my very own
I write to…
Bring creativity into existence
I write to…
Have adventures that would otherwise never take place
I write to…
Acknowledge all that is good and true
I write to…
Perfect my hidden talents and abilities
I write to…
Show myself that I am worth so much more than I think that I am
I write to…
Find comfort in a place that I didn’t even know existed
I write because…
I am a writer.
© 2018 Michelle Cook
Her Secret Place…
Beneath the silvery moon sky
She kisses all her cares goodbye
Barefoot and free
She races down to the sea
In the soft glow of the night
She dances in pure delight
Her emotions are heightened
Yet she is not frightened
The breezy ocean air
Runs fingers through her hair
The cool salty mist
Gives a soft gentle kiss
She embraces the touch
From this place she loves so much
She is pleased by her endeavor
But knows she cannot stay forever
Her heart is heavy and torn
Creases of it now aged and worn
She reaches down underneath the sand
Capturing the tiny pieces in the palm of her hand
Gently blowing the colored crystals away
She promises to come back another day
© 2018 Michelle Cook
We’d be free… free just to be.
I wish I had a friend who would pretend with me once more
Masquerading away the day, we’d be silly and free
Free to be a princess, a pirate, or even a superhero
Regardless of whomever we wanted to be
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be five once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who would ride bikes with me all day
Riding around the neighborhood, we’d be silly and free
Free to explore the park, the zoo, or even the beach
Regardless of wherever we wanted to go
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be ten once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who would spend some time with me
Bumming around together, we’d be silly and free
Free to hang out at the arcade, go bowling, or even catch a movie
Regardless of whatever we decided to do
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be fifteen once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who could understand what I’m going through
Never-ending late night talks, we’d be silly and free
Free to discover who we are, speak honestly, and become forever friends
Regardless of whatever we discovered about each other
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be twenty once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who would help me make tough decisions
Coming alongside me, we’d be silly and free
Free to dream, think, and consider the future
Regardless of whatever we planned
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be twenty-five once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who would help me be a better parent
Giving me some guidance, we’d be silly and free
Free to learn how to cope, adjust, and love unconditionally
Regardless of whatever we learned
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be thirty once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who could help me fix my marriage
Lending me their shoulder, we’d be silly and free
Free to face problems together, comfort one another, and give compassion
Regardless of whatever we experienced
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be thirty-five once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who would make me feel young again
Through words of reassurance, we’d be silly and free
Free to laugh at ourselves, cry at times, and encourage one another
Regardless of our age
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be forty once again…
To feel alive again…
I wish I had a friend who lived nearby
Through close moments spent together, we’d be silly and free
Free to see each other face to face, always welcoming a loving embrace
Regardless of life’s turmoil
We’d be free
Free just to be
Oh to be forty-five once again…
To feel alive again…
To be continued when I’m older…
© 2018 Michelle Cook
Hickory and Dickory
Hickory and Dickory
Raced through the room
Light on their feet
Sat on their brooms
Laughter filled
That once bleak place
Smiles abundant
On each young face
Each free to imagine
Permitted to run
Full of happiness
Teeming with fun
Pretending to be
All they could envision
Not even minding
The occasional collision
Young and certain
Contented as could be
Childish antics
Filling them with glee
Cowboys one second
Witches the next
Other times a monster
No one would expect
The beauty of imagination
Pervading young minds
Makes the rest of us wish
We could press rewind
And although we can’t go back
We can still stay young at heart
We just have to rein in
All those lost images from the start
© 2018 Michelle Cook
For a full month of writing prompts, click here! Hickory and dickory
The night of Nin
The night of Nin
Was where she’d been
Lost in a land
No one could understand
It was filled with loss
Of complete despair
Darkness enveloped
The stifling air
It was a place of enchantments
The evil kind
Full of wicked spells
Which sought to bind
But being a fighter
She broke free
Finally finding the path
That only she could see
And she took a chance
Leaving what she knew
The night of Nin
Had forced her to
Deliverance is what she found
In that new place
No longer bound
To a life of disgrace
© 2018 Michelle Cook
For a full month of writing prompts, click here! The night of Nin
Just…
Just pray
These are the words I hear you say
Just hope
These are words which help me cope
Just love
These are the words sent from above
Just trust
These are the words I know I must
Just live
These are the words I need to give
Just try
These are the words which make me sigh
Just be
These are the words which set me free
Just let go
These are the words I still don’t know
© 2018 Michelle Cook
Originally written, January 2017
