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“A Lie Cannot Live in the Starless Midnight” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 051 – Poetry

Ashlee

In Episode 051 of The Ashlee Craft Show, I read the first poem from my FIRST EVER poetry book. The poem is called “A Lie Cannot Live in the Starless Midnight” & it’s from my book “The Allure of a Summer Evening”.

THE ALLURE OF A SUMMER EVENING :: https://amzn.to/2JpU5nu

UNNAMED POEM NUMBER 1 – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 050 – Poetry

Ashlee

In Episode 050 of The Ashlee Craft Show, I read an unnamed poem THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD BEFORE (other than me, LOL) from my upcoming poetry book, which will be called “Between the Crevice & The Meadow”. Hope you enjoy it!

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UNNAMED POEM 1

I sat, crying in bed
she sat in the garden in the front yard
eighteen years ago
I look at where I am now
versus all her potential,
all her hopes,
& I am disappointed

I have not made her proud,
I have not made myself proud

– she doesn’t deserve this
she is young, innocent,
no one has told her yet how things will feel
when she grows up & how desperately she will want to
get away; she pictures it being fun
like a better version of being a child
but she doesn’t know how sad & desperate it will be sometimes

I am so dark, & I am so light
& I hope one day it will feel better but even if
the moments still pull their punches
I have made it this far; I can make it through

I whisper the words back into the past;
she is playing in the yard still in Wisconsin
the words from the future are whispered to her in the wind:
“I deserve better than this”
& in the circular melisma of time
I cannot say whether hearing this is what gave her the knowledge then
that she should be worth more,
or if she nodded
having known this already all along

“Words” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 044 – Poetry

Ashlee

I read a poem called “Words” from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 10 in Episode 044 of The Ashlee Craft Show!

A THOUSAND CRANES, VOLUME 10

 

///// WORDS /////

it doesn’t matter what words you use
they all mean the same thing

it’s always great when people ban together
against the same force which tries to outsmart teamwork

it is all planned out beautifully; I am now
strong enough to make it all happen

beautiful music drifted through speakers
& sanctified the rain

the pink candle was lit; shadows of flames
danced & the window was open

I looked around at euphoric basic everyday moments
& finally felt happy

lying in a hammock on the summertime porch
thinking about the meaning of sunlight

You Will Be More Than Okay – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 043 – Poetry

Ashlee

I read a comforting, motivational poem from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 10, titled “You Will Be More Than Okay”.

A THOUSAND CRANES, VOLUME 10

 

///// YOU WILL BE MORE THAN OKAY /////

I know you are afraid of being broken;

that there is something wrong with you for feeling like this

you’re afraid that you will never really know what it’s like to be happy;

but you will be more than okay
you’re afraid that you will always be lonely;

the darkness comes around & tries to suffocate you still from time to time

but look how it’s so much better than it used to be;

you are going to be more than okay
the night isn’t quite as dark as it seems;

stars twinkle, stars shine, the moon is your mother watching down over you

night music of crickets; the whole night is there to comfort you;

you will be more than okay
look how much stronger you are now: a year makes such a difference;

& look how strong you are becoming even though you always thought yourself weak

you did the impossible, all along you had it inside of you;

& you are going to be more than okay
the sharks are sleeping in their beds; the night is illuminated by candles;

you do not walk alone; you believe now that you deserve real & lasting happiness

there is nothing for you to fear – you are the captain of your soul, you can do this –

take comfort & know
you are going to be more than okay

“Easter” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 041 – Poetry

Ashlee

In Episode 041 of The Ashlee Craft Show, I read a poem from my Spring poetry book called “Easter”. Also, I’m wearing Easter egg novelty socks & carrot-shaped earrings!

SPRING POETRY BOOK

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EASTER

after spring cleaning is completed & the house is refreshed / opening the windows to clean out the air trapped in here by the winds of winter / running free thru fields / then coming back home to decorate for Easter
slowly removing the colorful Easter basket from the cardboard box in the garage & setting the basket, woven with pink & yellow straw, upon the black table in the corner / the sound of crinkling & plastic being torn, opening the bag of Easter grass & arranging the yellow cellophane in the bottom / tying a ribbon around the basket’s handle & smiling back at it
next removing the sentimental Easter tree from the box / the pale pink bark peeling, the metal branches bent at odd angles, but rearranging these & remembering when I was a child & I decorated these same branches with these sacred ornaments, souvenirs from memory’s road / separating the ornaments & untangling the branches & the small threads tied to the tops of them / picking a random but intentionally beautiful spot for each one, seeing these brilliant branches covered with Easter eggs, baby rabbits of pink & green & blue & yellow, sparkling eggs, bird houses, fuzzy yellow chicks, carrots, baskets, joy / seeing them filled with joy
lastly, removing the decorations given to me by my Grandmother & setting them upon the shelves / spreading the bright beauty of spring around on the walls, on the tables, on shelves, on the floor, anywhere there is room for them / planting seeds in terra cotta flower pots outside & placing the gently watered soil in the sunrays on my porch / spreading around the joy of this new beginning / spring is beginning once again / the sun shining once again