Trying…

We take the good with the bad, all the while just praying that the next thing that comes isn’t more of the stuff that keeps us awake at night. Our minds drift in and out of memories, some too hard to cling to for very long. Those are the recollections we try to leave behind, but they end up sitting like an undigestible pit, and oh, the ache they bring! I try only to remember the good, but oh, how the bad torments me so. The bad seems to weigh significantly more and is noticeably burdensome as it tugs at my side. The good is light and fluffy, like a soft, comfy pillow. And yet, it’s much easier to forget the good, as I’ve become so immersed in its feeling that I soon forget where it came from in the first place. But we mustn’t forget! Happiness and good days should be cherished and treasured without fail; the locket of bright and lovely things should be kept close to our hearts so we have it with us wherever we go. Today, I’m holding onto the good, trying to erase most of the bad. I may not get there, but at least I’m trying.

© 2025 Michelle Cook


Photo generated with AI

Time to choose

My mind draws a blank
as the new year looms;
what will happen,
I can only assume.

I’ve a mixed bag of emotions
sitting on my lap;
if some of them spill out,
I might just snap.

I know there is so much good
about to unfold,
so I keep looking at the ground
and do as I’m told.

Don’t question the process,
is what my thoughts say;
eventually, this wary feeling
will start to go away.

But with nobody to talk to,
my mind is in a haze;
still, I try to prepare
for this new life phase.

I’ve got nothing to lose
but everything to gain,
and saying goodbye to the past
will help me stay sane
.

So, goodbye, I say
to another mixed year.
Freedom awaits;
the odds are very clear.

I’m adjusting my sails,
waiting for the wind
to prepare my course,
and then descend.

I pray for transformation
even though I don’t pray
and, hopefully, a shift
will come my way.

Clearing the dust,
looking for new views,
now’s the perfect time
for me to choose.

© 2022 Michelle Cook


*The drawing is my own attempt at creating a mixed bag of emotions.  Fingers crossed that none of my emotions spill out over the coming year. 🙂 ~M xo

This world

I haven’t figured out yet
why hatred exists,
but it swirls around me;
why must it persist?

It saddens my heart,
this destruction of men,
and I wonder how it started,
or has it always been?

The meanness of this world
lingers all around;
I try to tip-toe right by it
but still, I am found.

A jab in the stomach,
a slap to the face,
always forced to feel
like such a disgrace.

Sadly, this evil lurks
behind every innocent-looking door;
it robs us of our freedoms,
and we’re shunned forevermore.

But a few sympathetic hugs
or some kindhearted smiles
can cause a trail of love
to spread on for miles.

So even when we’re bullied,
we’ve got to fight from within;
instead of spreading more hatred,
there is a better way to win.

Open up your heart
and kiss away despair;
all you have to do
is show how much you care.

The world may drown in hatred,
but you can still survive;
by being humble and gentle,
your spirit will continue to thrive.

Don’t listen to the haters;
you know what you carry inside.
And no matter what happens,
never forget how hard you tried.

© 2022 Michelle Cook


Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/tree-clouds-fields-grass-832079/

Write me a poem…

Write me a poem
Express what you will
It doesn’t have to rhyme
Just tell me how you feel

It can be candid or cryptic
Full of love or even hate
Just tell me how you’re doing
I’ll give no debate

The things that you write
Won’t be judged by me
Just say what you want
And set yourself free

Let your words flow easily
Pour them on a page
You might find it helpful
To empty some rage

Whatever spills out
Must come from deep within
And don’t get so frustrated
That you throw them in the bin

Every word matters
The good and the bad
Sometimes this is the only way
To empty all the sad

So please take your time
And tell me how you feel
Be it positive or negative
It’s the only way to heal

You’ll be relieved to have unburdened
What’s been clinging to your soul
It’s the only good way
To feeling happy and whole

© 2022 Michelle Cook


 

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/sunset-rope-swing-girl-silhouette-5737120/

Glum?

Look out your window;
what do you see?

Certainly, birds must be chirping
so cheerily.

So why can’t you
do the very same?

Look up at the sky
and adjust your frame.

Focus on the view,
take it all in.

Find the joy
where it’s always been.

© 2022 Michelle Cook


Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/photoshop-young-woman-sky-field-4405807/