Not a Mirage

 

 

       Ambushed, held hostage, then forgotten,

discarded, starved and too weak

to move. I find myself in a dead forest

that was burned by a fire a few years ago –

just sprouts of trees and a few ants trailing

the chewed-up ground.

       I will find a cabin to rest in and get warm,

then find food in that cabin and rejuvenate.

I will not think of them (those who took me)

more than I have to. I will not

devote my energy

to bitterness but fasten myself

to thoughts of a future where freedom

is mine and I am not obliged to sleep

my nights in a mite-infested bed or

pull at my hair-strands

in boredom.

       My burden is unloaded,

my shackles are far away

after so many decades.

It will take commitment to shine

in order to shine, but I will shine.

       Near a country river

I will make my home, remain

tied to a promise like a covenant devoid

of self-pity, return to joy

as though never captured, never broken.

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Copyright © 2023 by Allison Grayhurst

amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst

“The poems included in Allison Grayhurst’s poetry collection Running, lightwave riding reveal an impressive artistic perfection and creative energy. The poems are full of lyrical force and show freshness of style. No doubt, this is a significant work. The poems have great power of observation and originality of imagination,” Dr. Karunesh Kumar Agarwal publisher Cyberwit.net

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Published in “Fevers of the Mind” June 2023

https://feversofthemind.com/2023/06/05/a-poetry-showcase-allison-grayhurst-june-2023/

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First published in “Raven Cage Zine Issue 79” April 2023

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bSK-i_cdlpdZynz8lH2A4YIlxgyGiub3/view

Click to access RavenCageZine79.pdf

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Published in “Winamop” May 2023

http://www.winamop.com/index.htm

http://www.winamop.com/ag2300.htm

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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

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