a magpie,
in its monochrome coat, took three hatchlings from their nest.
.
a sudden, brazen theft of hope
.
. and i watched
as the wagtail mourned
her loss, and
.
. then,
just as i thought her
pain could not be any greater,
. she sang.
.
. and i wonder
how her song does not break
.
under the weight
of those claws.
.
—on courage.
.
© Liezel Graham 2019.
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Photograph Pixabay.
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#spilledthoughts #indiepoetry #spilledink #iweepinink #naturepoetry #liezelgraham #loss #poetryaboutloss #quotesaboutcourage #courage #words #wotd #potd #poetryporn #wordporn #shewrites #rawwords #poetrycommunity #indiepoet #poetry #wordsmith #griefpoetry
Today, I experienced one of those surreal moments where time seems to stand still for just a little while, and everything inside you pays attention.
.
.
I saw a grizzled, old man.
Spine curved with age, he shuffled, unhurried, enjoying the early evening sun on his face.
.
.
As my gaze started to drift away, I noticed his shoes — they were red. The brightest red that I had ever seen. A celebration unto themselves.
.
.
They made my heart jump with joy. The sheer audacity of disregard for age, or convention, or what might be seemly enough for a man who has seen more than a few seasons.
.
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As our eyes met — and it was just the briefest connection in time — I smiled at him. A gift, in exchange for this unexpected, wild delight of a man in the final act of his life, owning the sidewalk in his red shoes.
.
.
Oh, the beauty of this defiant act of joy.
.
.
—On exiting the stage in red shoes.
.
.
© Liezel Graham 2018.
.
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It seems a good day to repost this story. Here’s to living our lives owning the sidewalk in defiant red-shoed joy,
.
.
liezel
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#shortstoriesofinstagram #shortstories #flashstory #words #amwriting #redshoes #nevergiveup #joy #livemoremagic #writersofinstagram #beautyinthemoment #beautyinthemundane #lookforthejoy #liezelgraham #spilledink #spilledthoughts #iweepinink
