Keyless is my lock, yet I readily surrender myself completely,
to my thinning skin with shadows of whispers and prickling flesh.
Secrets buried beneath a stratum of my dried and cracking crust,
as my haunting heart hungers for a yielding stillness, I can truly trust,
until my essence is so sweetly scented fading back into ash and dust.
Struggling to forget that remembrance resembling an unmarked grave
of a magical innocence lost in fall’s carpet of leaves and forgotten times.
Buried just beyond the massive Willow oak of my youth and its crimes.
Colors mix with nature’s caress and fresh air which carries me lovingly away
from nightmares that swiftly strike their sword to diminish childhood play.
For now, carved, a shelter delicate yet strong like an egg’s armor where I feel,
safe, as my breath is like a song which sends forth my overwhelming love
upon the wings of the sparrow or the red chested Bleeding-Heart dove.
Coming safely here to cry, tears of dancing joy seen only in a child’s face,
yes, peace has beckoned and lighting-bugs circle sweet Gardenias in a vase
where locks don’t exist, and fairies sing when Angels dance in my magic place!
By Joni Caggiano 02/01/20 – Photo by Joni
Joni, this is smashing. The imagery and the metaphors are splendid. 💕❤️💕❤️
Thank you so much my sweet friend. 💕 you.
My pleasure, hon.
xoxoxo
Beautiful Joni, really enjoyed reading and the photograph is lovely!
All the best to you and my greetings from Spain,
Francisc
Thank you so much Francisco I am so glad you liked it. I appreciate your reading and commenting very much. It means a lot. Have an amazing weekend. Love 💕 Joni
You are so very welcome, Joni, it’s a pleasure, really…enjoy the weekend!
All the best,
Francisc
Lovely images especially the last stanza
Thank you my dear friend. I have not been very active for a couple of days. It is very dreary here in NC right now. I hope you have a blessed weekend and I
Can catch up with my reading. Love you. Joni
Take care, you too, Joni❤️
💕
I agree with your readers, you write with lovely imagery <3 Sorry to hear NC has been dreary–it is gray and windy here today–but spring WILL come! 🙂 Have a blessed weekend, Joni<3
Oh nice to here from you my sister. I hope that you are having a blessed day. Looking forward to catching up on reading all the post I have missed in the last two days. Thank you for always reading and commenting. Love 💕 you Joni 😘
You are most welcome always!! 🙂 <3
So beautifully written
Thank you so much for your kind words. Have a blessed weekend. Love 💕 Joni
Such poignant prose poetry, Joni! Even your secret garden viewed through the iron gate is poetry. This is a lovely way to end my Sunday.
“….safe, as my breath is like a song which sends forth my overwhelming love
upon the wings of the sparrow or the red chested Bleeding-Heart dove…”
Oh Joni, I’ll be carrying these words in me. Thankyou for your precious gift and that you share it with the world. Love you! 🌻
Oh thank you so much for your incredibly kind words my friend. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you are having a blessed week Love 💕 Joni
The photos you include are so brilliant. Love your work
Thank you Janette that is quite a compliment coming from you. You have always had an amazing eye and talent behind the lens. Thank you sweetie. Love 💕 you
Lovely, Joni. Your images are so fresh. That phrase “beyond the massive Willow oak of my youth and its crimes” feels so reminiscent of my own youth, as if the crime was innocence, itself. <3
Thank you for your thoughtfulness Anna. We are sisters of some of the same pain and crimes. Innocence taken from a child is always a horrible crime. I was placed in situations I should have never been put in due to lack of care. Strange how the abusers can so easily be family because they know the situation better than anyone. We are so blessed to have our faith. I am so very sorry you were ever hurt. Please don’t read my work if it hurts too much dear friend. It is impossible for me for these things not to still hurt sometimes but we are trying to help. I love your kind support but I don’t want to hurt your heart. We made it and we are warriors. I look up to you and your success and think – look what she has overcome and how much she has achieved. I hope we help people reach out while they are still going through the abuse. Love you dear Anna. ❤️💕
You are so kind, Joni. Never fear. I am a great believer in getting the poison out. You express what so many victims are unable to do for themselves, transforming ugliness into beauty. <3 <3 <3
This has got to be one of the kindest compliment in regards to my writing and also hope of helping others that I have ever received. Thank you so much for these words. You have been so kind to me my friend. Your support means the world. God Bless you dearest Anna and thank you again. Love you Joni ❤️💕🙏