knowing what the sound of the wind is like
through board empty boards of houses,
a match on rough brick strikes,
the flame burning higher & higher into the sky
wearing neon yellow blouses;
I called out into the wind asking where you were
& you replied it was all a lie,
the mask you’d worn for so long
we walked on the beach & the sun was a blur
behind growing gray clouds & the height of the sun
tendrils of a rainbow blooming
& nothing was wrong,
not anymore
The “Thanksgiving” poem from Autumn (Four Seasons, #1)
It’s almost Thanksgiving! For Episode 022, in honor of an amazing fall holiday, I’m reading the poem “Thanksgiving” from my poetry book, “Autumn”. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, & if you don’t celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season in general!
thanksgiving…everybody seated around the table smiling & holding hands as snow blows around outside & lands against the windows, tender flakes gently resting on my eyebrows before melting onto my skin / in my mind, the end of fall & the beginning of winter & all the joy it brings
delicious scent of family cooking & traditions & recipes laid out on the table before me / so many good things to eat it’s hard to make my mind up & I only can enjoy so much of it tonight / apple pie & green beans & sweet potatoes & squash & stuffing & everything else delicious
& the company of family & relatives, friends held close to your heart, forever bonding / more goes through your mind as you sit there enjoying the company of those closest to you / it’s about friendship & love & warmth, like being wrapped in a warm blanket somewhere perfect & knowing that you’re safe & no matter how cold the wind blows outside the window that you are loved you are loved you are loved
everyone sharing special memories & special thoughts & special recipes & most importantly, your hearts / sharing those things dearest to you / sharing the one thing that matters most, matters more than money or gifts or promises or anything else superficial, but about time / time is the definition of love / love & time, hands entwined
sitting around the table with generation after generation, making memories to last a lifetime
I saw you in the street with tears on your face
You falsely thought you were behind in life’s race
But how do you expect that you can even face yourself
If you don’t think you have the strength to pull your dreams down from that shelf?
I’ll stand beside, I’ll always lend you my hand
I’ll do whatever it takes to help you understand
That everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna work out fine
Everything’s gonna be alright
You just gotta let things happen in their own time
You had been fooled into believing it wasn’t you
Who controls your destiny, who controlled what you had to do
‘Cause only you can decide what path is right to take
If you choose what you know is right, no choice is a mistake
I’ll stand beside you, you can always count on me
I want to guide you down that road, I want to help you see
That everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna work out fine
Everything’s gonna be alright
You just gotta let things happen in their own time
You were looking for hope, you didn’t know where it could be found
You’ll find that hope you seek when you realize what is profound
Whatever you want life to be, it will all work out
It’s not your job to understand what life’s about
I’ll stand beside when the going gets tough
For I too have been on the seas when they seemed so rough
And everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna work out fine
Everything’s gonna be alright
You just gotta let things happen in their own time
Oh, everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna work out fine
Everything’s gonna be alright
You just gotta let things happen in their own time
(Everything’s gonna be alright)
Everything’s gonna be alright
(Everything’s gonna work out fine)
You can do this
(Everything’s gonna be alright)
Someday, thing’ll be easier
(You just gotta let things happen in their own time)
Happen in their own time
(Everything’s gonna be alright)
Everything’s gonna be alright
Episode 020: First off, I’m excited that doing Episode 020 means 20 weeks of doing an episode EACH WEEK! In Episode 020, I read the first poem from my new photography zine, “FOG: A ZINE” which I am super in-love with (both the photos & the poems). Also, I really love + relate to this poem so I really enjoyed reading it.
Episode 019, the Halloween edition of The Ashlee Craft Show. In this episode, I discuss my adorable owl Halloween costume & then read a poem from my Autumn poetry book (from the Four Seasons series) titled “Halloween”.
halloween night…ghosts & pumpkins & candy & witches & fall leaves blowing as wolves howl in the distance / I stand on the sidewalk & parading around me, robots & ghosts & witches & characters from books & movies surround me & run by, rambling past & free to pretend / strength of imagination granted by the fabrics & ideas run freely / pretending to be something else, if only for a day costumes galore, rampaging thru the streets & pounding on doors, asking for candy in brightly colored wrappers & racing off down the streets, bags bulging with candy & smiles filling the street lamps to the brim / harvest moon – full moon – in the magical warmth of the harvest moon in the sky & a sudden closeness to the moon crosses over me / close to the golden glow of the moon leaves rustle against the sidewalk & past the doors of the haunted house, where few dare to enter / but I see a light shining in the window & out into the street & I see that it’s not so haunted at all you can see jack-o-lanterns shining in windows & on the steps of porches / their faces, kind or frightening, mirroring & mimicking the faces in the mirror / the dim orange of their skin briefly illuminated by the flickering glow of the candles inside I walk up towards the inviting warmth of a porch & hold my bag open wide / filling it with everything good, then walking off into the golden moonlight / fulfilled & free / on this stunning October evening / Halloween night
Episode 018: I read a poem from my 2012 poetry book, “Dancing in the Sunlight”. “Simple / Dance on the Triangle” is the name of the poem. I like how the words sound together. & I talk about my red & orange “fall leaf hair” briefly at the beginning.
I read “Revelations”, a poem from my book, A Thousand Cranes, Volume 10 & I discuss how the poem relates to when you’re changing your life & becoming more yourself.
Episode 016 of The Ashlee Craft Show: It’s fall & it’s cozy-time, which means the smell of apple cider & cozy sweaters & pumpkin pie is coming back. The poem, “The End of Summer” from Ashlee’s poetry book “Autumn (Four Seasons #1)” captures the space between summer & fall perfectly.
Ashlee reads “Ground” from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 9
In Episode 015 of the Ashlee Craft Show, Ashlee reads a poem from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 9 titled “Ground” & discusses the meaning behind her favorite line in the poem.
A Thousand Cranes, Volume 9: http://amzn.to/2xTfqPg
“Life is My Playground” T-Shirt, as seen in the video: https://www.shop.ashleecraft.com/collections/t-shirts/products/life-is-my-playground-unisex-t-shirt
GROUND ::
I walked across wet grass & was caressed by raindrops
I trekked across galaxies & stars & suns left unnamed by human tongue
I holed myself up in an apartment contemplating what the answer must be
I time traveled back to the critical moment & changed my mind at the last second
I fought myself in dirty basements of buildings struggling to stay
I took the time to learn about the magic kept locked inside of me
I learned that all that glitters isn’t gold & that gold should not be loved too fondly
I put on my mask to become the person I wanted to be
I felt the breeze of after-rain & touched sunbeams & the earth
& through these things
I discovered where myself was hiding
Ashlee reads “Ground” from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 9
In Episode 015 of the Ashlee Craft Show, Ashlee reads a poem from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 9 titled “Ground” & discusses the meaning behind her favorite line in the poem.
A Thousand Cranes, Volume 9: http://amzn.to/2xTfqPg
“Life is My Playground” T-Shirt, as seen in the video: https://www.shop.ashleecraft.com/collections/t-shirts/products/life-is-my-playground-unisex-t-shirt
GROUND ::
I walked across wet grass & was caressed by raindrops
I trekked across galaxies & stars & suns left unnamed by human tongue
I holed myself up in an apartment contemplating what the answer must be
I time traveled back to the critical moment & changed my mind at the last second
I fought myself in dirty basements of buildings struggling to stay
I took the time to learn about the magic kept locked inside of me
I learned that all that glitters isn’t gold & that gold should not be loved too fondly
I put on my mask to become the person I wanted to be
I felt the breeze of after-rain & touched sunbeams & the earth
& through these things
I discovered where myself was hiding
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