These three poems by Susan Shea explore the value of inspiration…
by: Susan Shea
Keep On Before she dips her head into the cool morning water the red robin looks around around and around again until she’s safe enough to drink to jump into her stage bath without audience she pounds her sturdy legs waves water with her wings she is “Proud Mary” Tina for us for the women who have dry fear left inside to rise out of the dust the ground that calls us she reminds us to open our mouths wide drink it all in quake morning for ourselves tremble for no one
Source You are the ones I seek you know you have a bristling brush in your hands ready to splash energy like colorful feed to keep my cells jumping jiving in the real world although you walk through splattered paths spending time with you keeps me in my groove keeps me on course where I can fully feel the spin of the earth on its axis yet keep my balance you are the ones dipping your brush into cans of words spans of history to live all the lives of all the early risers who can’t wait to fresco the day on the all powerful sky
Reaping Sunrise should be enough on any day but I can tell today will take my best eyesight my closest scope to find the blessed whimsy to invite the day so I must clear the table start again say goodbye to all the people jumping in the hole of look at this mess we are in I must leave you all behind in all the same old muck or we can go together we can fill the hole with all things noble beautiful all true where the fantastic takes its cue to speak look on the wall there find the harvest man he doesn’t bite he takes his time his own long legs his hidden eyes take him where he needs to be to gather his own fruit of this day
Susan Shea is a retired school psychologist who was born in New York City, and now lives in Pennsylvania. She has returned to writing poetry in 2023, and this year she has been published in several dozen journals including Ekstasis, The Bluebird Word, Last Stanza Poetry Journal, The Bookends Review, Poetry Breakfast, Book of Matches Literary Magazine, and The Agape Review, as well as three anthologies. Recently, she has had poems accepted for Feminine Collective, Military Experience and the Arts, Tiny Wren, Crowstep Poetry Journal, Green Ink Poetry, The Avalon Literary Review, and Clayjar Review.
