Hell is High

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Allison Grayhurst

Hell is High

(when the only power left is to surrender)

At the height of this hill,

the warm air is gone,

the fledging is removed from its nest,

no fossil is found. Once

there was a living thing, up here,

something, at sometime, burned

with hunger.

The devil is a thief. The devil blows air bubbles

into the veins. The devil has many eyes,

though none offer clarity.

On this hill, I sleep, stride, then unveil this

saga of betrayal and disappointment. The devil comes,

but I will not be ruled. I accept this anguish, anger,

grief, and finally, emptiness – on this hill – I accept

God’s love, though it hurts and breaks both my ankles

so that I am stuck here – on this barren pinnacle –

owner of what has passed and what has yet to come.

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First published in “Junk in July Poetry Zine” November 2015

Junk in July Nov 2 Junk in July Nov 3 Junk in July Nov 4

http://junkinjuly.blogspot.ca/2015/11/hell-is-high-poem-by-allison-grayhurst.html

You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

“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.