Children's Writer & Sometimes Poet
Some of these mantras today Shake my head Curl my toes Living my best life Can I just take that pressure off? Most days are hard enough Loving my people Caring for my responsibilities Pursuing my passion My best? That's a high standard I cannot maintain Climbing to the peak. There's no air up there. Don't look to me to Make my past self jealous. I want to see her excited about, inspired by, proud of her future. The Do-Be-Do-Be-Do days are done Lay down that finish line I'm going to take my time ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
The secret to contentment is gratitude The secret to gratitude is perspective The secret to perspective is selflessness The secret to selflessness is love The secret to love is selflessness The secret to selflessness is perspective The secret to perspective is gratitude The secret to gratitude is contentment ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
You are beautiful
In the richness of your rhythm
In the liveliness of your language
In the vibrance of your voice
In the strength of your stature
But we are strongest
In our overlap
I am beautiful
In my firmness of faith
In my unwillingness to walk away
In my collected quiet
In my surprising silliness
But we are strongest
In our overlap
In the seam
Of the silk that is you
Of the linen that is me
Threads of compassion,
Hope, love
Forgiveness
Bind unbreakable
In our overlap
Where we are strongest
(C) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
We pour our heart Into our creation To get trampled, criticized Rejected Breaking our spirit To not pour our heart Perhaps protects our underpinning -- By not bearing the creator's image By not carrying the creator's soul The creation suffers To not push hard enough To not dig deep enough Creates a counterfeit, Second-rate beauty Unworthy Create. Unguarded. ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
tall in stature, small in presence folding, bending, curling, tucking shrinking smaller still seeking security of shadow retreating into recesses until a wisp of self remains dissipated by a blown kiss (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
little me in this great big world grateful to have a voice in the mind, in the heart of the most important people in this great big world to me (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
There's a wispy sheet of cloud Just out of arm's reach It slides to the left It slides to the right It turns counterclockwise Making the world roll sideways When it hovers above Like a shifting xray I feel seen beyond My jeans and t-shirt To the truth of me In all my shades of gray ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
even if eternity is only a moment of absolute, pure love that is enough that is everything ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
On windy days
my words ride and swirl
dip then climb
before reaching my child's ears
in her reading tree
(c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
You have two ears and one mouth use them in that proportion When you're pointing your finger at someone else, You're pointing three fingers back at yourself Never show up empty handed Mind your manners, Remember whose you are. It's good to have lots of friends but keep your own mind I cut your sandwich in half so you can share with a friend without People can't hear you if you're yelling at them Everything's okay when you obey Did we forget? (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
One side says, Protect the embryo And the rights of the shooter One side says, All are welcome, But not white Christians One side says, Ban books Keeps guns One side says, Safeguard stories Censor people One side says Love others, unless . . . Don't judge, except . . . When we lose The United in these States of America The outcome is inevitable Can there be room For passion and peace Uniqueness and unity? Without the common ground, Strongest in our overlap, Divided we will be, deservedly fallen It's a choice. ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
Perhaps it's the war with the death of a son with the sacrifice of a father Perhaps it's the year of query of beautiful story without a reader of skillfully written, but -- Perhaps it's months of illness and having little to control and having less to try This creative desert only deepens my thirst drives my next step ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
In the shade of the Rotem I catch my breath rest, relief, recover just enough to move forward, journey on trust the story, remember hurt, healing, hope then offer shade to another on this rugged route to give just enough care, comfort, encouragement to carry on (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
steady now the birds collect twigs the trees bud with promise the grass stands vibrant the wind arrives gentle and new hang tight ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
when i'm stuck lost in my world wandering along twisting spaghetti brain lanes i get caught in a loop need You to straighten my thinking, keeping me moving forward, teaching me to roll through a stumble to deliver some truth ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
we writers sometimes poets players of words collectors of ideas pluck from the muck pull pearls string bracelets to seduce the muse ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
She's every bit the confident woman Her clothes are pressed hair styled, shoulders back, chin up She has her purpose mission-minded, laser-focused, prepared She's every bit the confident woman Across the table sits her mirror image in younger form They sip their coffee, click keyboards, shuffle papers, tackle to-dos She's every bit the confident woman She instructs her daughter in ways of life, of work, of world Maybe a little jealous her daughter's insight, strength, sense-of-self Becoming every bit the confident woman her mother only feigns (C)2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
These twelve words written on my heart constant companions my hope and breath my anchor and wind Remember, I am with you Always Until the very end of age (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
a stream of consciousness connects trouble to trouble to trouble gun violence domestic violence no solutions nonsense health declining, covid rising civil unrest pivots like a windsock Ukraine. Oh, Ukraine. my heart weeps my anger boils but my hands feel confined in this spectator's straight jacket Take a breath, oh my soul Sprinkle random acts of kindness Into my space in this world Let them catch a zephyr Let them spread like dandelion seeds (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
This bossy story pricks and pesters. It's such a brat. Doesn't care I'm uncertain. Inspiration pokes and prods 'til I pay it some attention, like my pup with her ball incessant 'til I play with her What if I ignore it? Ha! The muse will ruin my dreams to wake me, to make me write (c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
There's a pair of older hands Clacking away on my keyboard Crinkles and creases, mercilessly dry Where did their prowess go? Thicker now, age spots on the horizon Beyond the power they once yielded They've realized their true strength Being lent to another in love, regardless of like ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
Beneath my desk Content to rest at my feet My faithful pup Inspires the writer in me ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
It sounds like I am on hold. Or the ring of a dying phone. The cell in my hand is silent. My laptop before me behaves. Beyond the window a blue bird, a new-to-me type, plays statue in the budding young maple. It hops and warbles a song unfamiliar. Perhaps it's eaten a robotic worm. Maybe I'm swallowed by technology. It's been too long since spring last. Time to fine tune these ears of mine. ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
Poetry
Elevates language
Careless poets intimidate,
Torturing meaning beyond comprehension
(c) 2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved
While world players position their pawns for battle, I write poetry. While a desperate mother steals her children to safer borders, I write poetry. While young women are bartered their dignity for dollars, I write poetry. While I pray for peace and purpose, mine out the voice I've been given, I write poetry. To shine light into dark places, distill hope in the hurt, I write poetry. ©2022 Sue Santiago all rights reserved