All Around You
By Keri Killion
There are certain joys that no one can take away.
Joys like this that are here today.
Like dew on the grass in the morning light,
the vibrant color of a flower bursting with life.
Sounds of the cricket orchestra playing at night,
the sun as it shines, beautiful and bright.
The uniqueness of each single snowflake,
the perfection of one exquisite grape.
The satisfaction of completing a very good book,
thoughts conveyed with only a look.
Grains of sand joining to form a beach,
The Bible that you keep just within reach.
Tasting something salty, then something sweet,
the first embrace where two lovers meet.
The sound of the wind blowing through the trees,
natural goodness of honey from bees.
The wonder and mystery of outer space,
that feeling you get when you finish a race.
The smell that the rain leaves in the air,
the majestic grace of the grizzly bear.
The persistence of a child learning to walk,
sounds strung together as she learns to talk.
All created by God in his glory,
earth’s beauty and nature’s majesty.
These are joys that are here today,
these are joys that no one can take away.
I Am Beautiful
By Keri Killion
It starts as a whisper,
I’m not sure I believe it.
I am beautiful …
The mirror reflects lines on my face,
skin weathered with age,
scars documenting years of abuse
and still
I am beautiful …
Inside I feel anxious,
self-conscious and broken.
Still I know
I am beautiful …
Some days I want to hide in my bed and not come out.
Other days I want to yell, scream and shout.
I wonder what my life is all about,
but I know
I am beautiful …
These scars, frowns and lines
mark evidence of times
that made me who I am today.
No Longer Silent
By Keri Killion
Like a child uttering her first words,
I am no longer silent.
Pain and tragedy have coursed
through my veins,
rising to the top,
they’ve been stuck at the surface.
With my first words I break through.
I feel alive and new,
full of possibilities.
Now the healing can begin.
It’s been bottled up for so long.
The change in me
is nothing less than transformational.
Hope not only exists,
it thrives deep within me.
There’s a reason I’ve been put here,
in these circumstances.
Somewhere there is another woman
facing the same choices that I faced.
If my words can only reach her in time,
if even one word that I write
or let flow from my lips,
can help someone change the course of their actions.
Scar Tissue
By Keri Killion
I look in the mirror, only to see
reminders of all the times he’s hurt me.
A scar above my eye
where he smashed my face into a door frame.
My skin split, the blood rushed down,
my reflection would never be the same.
What about the time he pushed me from a moving car,
my arms and legs are covered with these scars.
The one on my neck where the knife was at my throat,
he just stood there laughing and started to gloat.
It took some time, but now I see,
I’ve survived all this, he didn’t kill me.
My scars are quite beautiful you see,
because scars can’t form on something that’s dead,
only on something alive and full of breath.
Now I realize the freedom that survival brings.
These scars on my face, arms, legs and feet,
show that no matter what, I couldn’t be beat.
Now I look at these scars he gave me
and I smile because I see their beauty.
I survived! I’m alive! I persevered!
I’m grateful of these scars I have here.
My features are delicate,
my scars make them elegant.
I am much stronger than I appear,
for today I am living my life without fear.
Summer Days
By Keri Killion
Clouds in the sky make shapes.
I see a dog and a mountain laying in the grass.
The late day sun warms my skin.
I’ve been here so long,
the lightning bugs have come out.
They dance their dance just outside of my reach.
The breeze guides the sweet scent of honeysuckle,
straight to my nose.
Reaching overhead, I feel the vine.
I follow it to a flower.
Picking it, I bring it to my lips
and draw in the succulent nectar,
feeling, if only for a moment
that I’m actually in heaven.
Blades of grass start to itch my skin.
My Grandma flicks the porch light.
It is time to go in.
Found
By Keri Killion
Reflecting on high and low points,
pleasure and pain,
a deep sense of gratitude
is nothing less than transformational.
I gave up on life,
lost my humanity.
I needed to get a grip,
like a victim and an animal.
Brief moments of peace and clarity
became a part of me,
like rain entering soil,
I am slowly developing.
Effects manifest as small miracles.
I am no longer overwhelmed,
I am no longer a victim.
Compassion and responsibility arise,
I feel remorse.
I take control of my life,
step lightly throughout life.
I am not alone.
No Comments