Poetry by Jeannie E. Roberts

               Ian Livesey CC


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In Tender Remembrance, Gifts to Soften Your Past and a Basketful of Blue Ribbons for Your Posttraumatic Growth


A host of angels to abate the anxiety associated with culture shock
A second flight to cradle the disquieting influence of death
A third to tend to your numbness
Crowns and tiaras set with peridot, carnelian, and rose quartz--
your loving contribution to heal the xenophobic mind
A cascade of no’s and a waterfall of boundaries
to preserve your faith in the goodness of humanity
Dream Cloud mattresses attached to your apartment door to ease the impact of collision
A case of velvet gloves to lessen the pain inflicted by angry and besotted hands
A trunk of awareness for the times you trusted the untrustworthy
A Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb amplifier 
to intensify the warnings of your inner voice
A halo full of mercy for repeating what you could not repair
and a fountain of resolve for your redundancy
Containers of clarity instead of confusion over your value as a person
An ocean of self-compassion and waves of positive self-talk
A demagnetizing suit to repel the power of charm
to dispel any magnetism shaped with ingrained prejudice
A crystal ball to impart the obvious--
you cannot change bygone narratives nor the people in them
Garlands of grace wrapped in forgiveness for the folks
unwilling to love, honor, and respect diversity

A basketful of blue ribbons for realizing that 
failure creates resilience and lack is a teacher in gratitude
it is both a bounty and a burden to feel things deeply
you do not need anyone’s permission to live an authentic life
whatever wattage you possess, use it, do not dim it, you have it for a reason
if you aspire to a higher vibrational frequency the universe will answer in reciprocal response
you have plod along a laden path as preparation for today--
Its name? Evolution
And last but not least 
a festoon of feathers, buoyant and luminous, to celebrate the angels
the ones you have come to know, the mystic ministers who have been actively stitching 
your broken and tender essence into wholeness

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Jeannie E. Roberts lives in an inspiring setting near Chippewa Falls, WI, where she writes, draws and paints, and often photographs her natural surroundings. She enjoys spending time outdoors, listening to the birds, and taking long walks. She’s authored four poetry collections, two children's books, and is listed in Poets & Writers. As if Labyrinth - Pandemic Inspired Poems is forthcoming in May 2021 from Kelsay Books. She’s also poetry reader and editor of the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs.

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