National Poetry Month Challenge - Day 8

Today's poetry prompt was to write either a violence poem, a peace poem or both.  I'll be honest and say that I found this a bit troubling.  I write plenty of peace poems.  I tend to steer clear of violence.  This poem is my response to being asked to write the poem.  I suppose, I could have just written a straight forward peace poem.  Instead, I wrestled with my thoughts a bit.

Your Body Hears What You Are Thinking

There is no light in your cup.

You kick the stone down the road,

following its arc –

it’s jumping dance from pavement

to puddle.

Be careful.

Your body hears

what you are thinking,

and it hurts.

Be kind to your feet –

they walked you out of that house

where the boogie man groped you.

Be kind to your hands –

they comfort fevered brows

and make bowls of spicy chili.

Everyone loves your chili.

Be kind to your eyes –

they need not see the open wound

to know it needs to heal.

Be kind to your readers –

they are looking for something

to lift them up –

to lift them out of the violence of this world –

an invisible cloak

of good.

Cristina M. R. Norcross

Copyright 2014