The Grinch Was Not Alone

The Grinch was not the only one at all,
Who found his heart to be two sizes too small,
Truth is, without disrespect or derision,
For many, that’s the fallback position,
In order for them to show empathy,
One must first find their heart and break it free,
Break into their ivory tower and shine a light,
Show life is made of more than wrong and right,
It’s mistakes and growth, not just win and lose,
We should spend more time wearing other’s shoes.

Surfacing

Submerged for years,
I manage to find which way is up,
Then rise again to the surface of our love,
Gasping for your breath and your warmth,
But trying not to make a commotion,
Not to ruffle the waters,
Or splash the feathers of those around,
Which is useless I know,
My re-emergence is obvious,
For they stand on the shore,
All asking “What for?”
Not able to believe,
That I want nothing more than to stand by your side,
They’d be just as glad, to let me slide,
Back in,
They’d not begin to help me out,
But they’ll look to you,
And if you reach your hand to me,
They’ll grab on to you fast,
Until you at last,
Pull me to land,
Then they’ll stand and wait,
And expect me to answer.

Discarded

I couldn’t help but
feel a pang of sadness.

Someone had left a bag
of soft toys,
big and small.

And spilling out
onto the ground
next to the dumpsters.

A large teddy bear
lay face down on the
recycling bin.

Face down as if in despair.

I wanted to hold it.
Cuddle it.
Comfort it.

Eww..don’t touch that!
I was told. I know.
Someone put it there
For a reason.

Silly of me.
To feel sad for the toys.
But they were once loved
and adored by children.

Now abandoned,
discarded.
And forgotten,
on the ground.

Someone couldn’t even
be bothered
to throw them away properly.

Heavy December

It’s December in Sweden,
Darkest time of the year.
When we’re all needing,
Snow to bring us good cheer.
For our hearts to brighten,
And our souls to lighten.
Snow, if you please.
But it’s too warm to freeze.
So the wind just throws rain.
Endless rain at your pane.
Endless gloom fills the room,
Fills your head and your heart.
And your soul feels so heavy,
In the dark.

In the morning….

…as he leaves the house he removes one of his earphones, leaving Kate Bush to serenade him on only one side for a moment. He does so partly so he can hear the sound of the children playing outside in the nursery school across the way, but mostly so he can hear them if they say hello, which they often do. He wouldn’t want them to think he ignored them. That would never do. Having passed the children and heading to the bus stop he restores his Kate Bush balance and begins his day.