I could only
walk a half mile
in her shoes.
The weight of my selfishness
was too heavy.
The blues came
with bright feathers.
I thought pain only came
in a sky full of crows.
The sidewalk is a valley of strangers
where eye contact feels like
an act of courage, and a smile
is too fragile to break anonymity’s spell.
Monday is an elephant
on my umbrella.
No matter how much
I try to stay out of the rain
there’s always someone
waiting with a storm.
I’m no angel in the desert
playing harp for the sun.
There’s more devil on my fingertips
than angel playing strings.
If you want a hymn,
don’t ask me
to play among thorns.
Coffee keeps
my attitude
from looking
for every line
it can cross.
It helps me feel
like it’s Saturday
when Tuesday
is tap dancing
along my last nerve.
I wish I could paint
the street with wildflowers,
bloom where my feet travel,
be bright color stalking gray.
Instead, I am a dandelion
waiting for my color to fade.
Flowers nod with
their sun faces
in a universe where
I am an astronaut gardener
calculating how many petals
I can travel before I reach my grave.
Do I fear the flight
or where I’ll land?
I’m not sure.
I’ll never know
unless I open my wings.
Fear can motivate
or paralyze with evasion.
©Susie Clevenger 2025
Ekphrastic poetry written from images provided by Word Crafters
