Unmasking the Bone

Unmasking the Bone

The suffering released

you of certainty,

made you mourn your innocence.

A brutal burn that crying could not erase.

His hand reaching out to yours,

never changing in its irrational cruelty.

And faith – it commands you to follow. Compels

you to let go, leap into the lungs

of a new god, a god

that makes one thing real

and takes all else in return.

You sit by rivers watching, trust only

hooks and horns for a time.

For a time the horror stalks you,

he follows your step

over landscapes and continents,

calls you every night

with a new shock to harbour.

You say it is a canyon he has cut, full

of dry thorns where no thirst is eased.

But what is the refuge wished for?

Is freedom too impossible

a word to use?

And what of him with his

opalescent depths and

offensive truths?

What of you, who labours for a desireless love,

striving?

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First published in “The Peregrine Muse” December 2015

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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.

Reviews of ‘Journey of the Awakening’:

“Journey of the Awakening is the first book of poetry that I have read of Allison Grayhurst. While reading it began to sound familiar, the comment to myself was “She is as good as Sylvia Plath”. When I finished the book I read comments from others who referred to her as “In the style of Sylvia Plath”; Ms Plath, one of my favorite poets had no match until Ms Grayhurst’s work. Congratulations to her on her achievements, I am already a ‘fan’, the love of her work will continue to grow,” Ann Johnson-Murphree, poet and author.

“Grayhurst is a great Canadian poet. All of Allison Grayhurst’s poetry is original, sometimes startling, and more often than not, powerful. Anyone who loves modern poetry that does not follow the common path will find Grayhurst complex, insightful, and as good a poet as anyone writing in the world today. This, and other Grayhurst poetry volumes are highly, highly recommended,” Tom Davis, poet, novelist and educator.