Taking a stab at poetry

Never done this publicly...

So...it's been a while. I've moved. I found work. Work went dry. Life goes on.

I do have a lot of exciting stuff to get into. Today's post was going to be about setting a release date for my second novel, but I discovered that my cover artist used AI and did not disclose that tiny bit of information, so I'm on the hunt for a replacement. The date may or may not have to be pushed back, and I don't want to announce it until it's a sure thing.

So in the meantime, let's unveil some poetry! I haven't written poetry in quite a while, and I don't know that I've ever publicly shared a poem. So yeah, here we go. It doesn't have a title or anything, but I hope you'll enjoy.

I swallowed the storm instead of screaming,

let it churn in the back of my chest

until it forgot how to roar.

Some days I shine.

Some days I don't.

Some days I pretend there's no difference.

The road behind me is ash and glass.

Not from malicious fire,

but a thousand little sparks I didn't see

until the smoke became my home.

I offered what I had—

too late, maybe.

Too little, clearly.

But not false.

There's a shape missing

from the place I once called steady.

I don't touch it now.

I nod to it as I pass.

I still reach sometimes.

Instinct more than hope.

My hand comes back empty

but still strong.

And I carry that.

Not regret,

but the weight of having loved

while learning how to fail.

I hope you have a great day. Thanks for stopping by.