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What Can?

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Because I cannot

what I can not,

the labyrinth outside

is overwhelming. But what will come

down the slanted shingles

and tree trunks is a tomorrow

I strain to name in spite

of my heart’s foreboding.

Like a first laughter

awakened in a baby’s mouth or the child

who is finally old enough to be allowed freedom

to control and cope,

the way out is in,

to give nothing to fear

or the waste on the side of the road.

Because I cannot

what I can not,

I see a pinprick void and

a pile-up of perfect little vehicles.

But I can be brave,

I can pray

for things

my days can not.

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Copyright © 2004 by Allison Grayhurst

amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst

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First published in “Boston Poetry Magazine”

http://bostonpoetry.wordpress.com/tag/allison-grayhurst/

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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

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“Allison Grayhurst intertwines a potent spirituality throughout her work so that each poem is not simply a statement or observation, but a revelation that demands the reader’s personal involvement. Grayhurst’s poetic genius is profound and evident. Her voice is uniquely authentic, undeniable in its dignified vulnerability as it is in its significance,” Kyp Harness, singer/songwriter, author.

“Allison Grayhurst’s poems are like cathedrals witnessing and articulating in unflinching graphic detail the gritty angst and grief of life, while taking it to rare clarity, calm and comfort. Grayhurst’s work is haunting, majestic and cleansing, often leaving one breathless in the wake of its intelligence, hope, faith and love amidst the muck of life. Many of Allison Grayhurst’s poems are simply masterpieces. Grayhurst’s poetry is a lighthouse of intelligent honour… indeed, intelligence rips through her work like white water,” Taylor Jane Green, Registered Spiritual Psychotherapist and author.

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