drained while supporting others
arduous but necessary
still, it’s hard
those who lean on you
see only their needs
their dependence required
you’re not a saint
only a giving human
a natural state of being
it’s exhausting
but it’s loving
we all do the best we can
heart-felt connections
bonded despite the distance
love imprinted deep
Redux
When I make the effort
to dig deep
into who you are,
know you are loved.
In awe,
inspired,
captivated,
interested,
dazed,
uplifted.
Yes, in love with your being.
I’ll align myself
up close,
breathing in your talent
and exhaling
knowledge and pride.
You’ve won my heart.
Redux
i’m not the enemy
wrong
you were never a friend
friends will…
listen
offer a shoulder to cry on
give tissues as needed
nurture
be excited to be with you
tell the truth
protect
support
engage
comfort
laugh with you
act like your #1 fan
shield you from oncoming shit
be ready and waiting
me having to stand up for myself
and up to you
proved once and for all
you were never willing
to give what should have
come so naturally
Originally posted 2/11/2019, here on I Write Her.
we’re unique
different in so many ways
but sharing the same values
which brought us close
and to this day
keeps us dear to each other
i’m so glad our lives intertwined
my physical realm informs me
earth is my home
no matter where i land
my emotional senses tell me
some people are home
making me feel loved and alive
providing safety
feeling home frees us
yet connections bind us
so why do i feel so disconnected
from this place where i live
i’d like to feel at home with all earth’s inhabitants
Redux
a chance friendship
drawn to one another
artist meets artist
expressers of life
different
yet the same
beautiful and
complementary
in vision
and in soul
duet
your last breath
shifts
sheds skin
for oilslick
feathershine
finds sweet voice
with blackbird
becomes avian
dawn chorus
continuous
melody
glitters
mends
my broken heart
ascension
on the windowsill
your favourite robin
stands sentry
his beloved song
keeps company
a gift
the perfect soundtrack
as you diminish
finally slip from
this world &
take the next flight
the intricate rhythms of tiny birds
this morning
I opened a book
& a tiny bird flew out
although
his wings
seemed to
grow
as he got closer
to the light
from my window
the unassuming sky
soft colours
& whispering angels
waiting
the myth of the crimson kiss (love bites)
blood on the curtain
still warm to the touch
aren’t we all monsters
in our own way?
Stitching Time
I put a seashell to my ear
& we walk softly. Sad, lost,
fallen things. Caustic strangers.
Melancholy (cryptic companion)
has tenacious shadowy roots &
I put a seashell to my ear,
watching, waiting. Lives
entangled. Entwined
fallen things, caustic strangers
knotted, tightly shackled. I
carry them in my heart & head &
I put a seashell to my ear
when we walk. I
remember moments, stillborn
fallen things. Caustic strangers
losing a loved one. We
reflect on all the others lost.
I put a seashell to my ear.
Fallen things, caustic. Strangers.
The algorithms of concealment
Rose knows
Rose knows but doesn’t care
Clare doesn’t care either
but then she doesn’t know
what Rose knows
Is keeping a secret
the secret to
forged friendships?
flow
familiar drops
of blood
splash
into soapy water
pinking
greasy crockery
another nosebleed
relieves the
pressure
~~~
Jane Ayres has work in publications that include Magma, The North, and Lighthouse. In 2021, she was shortlisted for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award, a winner of the Laurence Sterne Prize, and her first collection edible was published by Beir Bua Press (July 2022). Website: janeayreswriter.wordpress.com Twitter: @workingwords50 https://www.youtube.com/@slowgallop451 Jane was first featured in 2022 and was nominated for the 2022 Pushcart Prize for her piece – remembering.
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Inspired by What do you see#218
loved ones laughter
where one giggle ends
then another begins
their joy
palpable
rubbing off on me
Redux
Feelings of anguish.
The call came expectedly.
“We lost her today.”
Originally posted October 1, 2018, on I Write Her.
I Write Her 