"Forgiveness"

  

 I wanted to blanket you in gentle warmth,  

            swaddle  you, protect you  

Never dreaming that you suffocated  

            under the weight of my attention  

I longed for you to mirror my heart  

            —mimic my words  

            —morph into my Mini-Me  

And I snipped away your identity  

And shaped you into a paper doll  

            that no one else can love  

When convenient—  

I mended your heartbreaks  

And fought your monsters  

I also shared our intimacies  

            —in gossip  

            stripping you to bare bones  

My love— 

            So wrong in intensity—  

whipped between over-indulgence and neglect  

On and off  

And on again  

            Leaving you heartless  

Copyright 2015 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

 

 

 

"Voiceless"

 

Rain burning on my cheeks like hot angry tears,
Scorching the world with its acid touch.
I brush it aside and wipe away my fears.
I ignore the destruction; I pretend too much.
 
The dank humid air burns me under its weight,
Forcing my mind to heave then implode.
I turn away from petty love; jealous hate.
Fighting against my resurgent need to explode.
 
The Conservative move against conservation
Eroding our lives, our will to live.
“Preserve Wall Street, Big Business, and the Nation!”
Forgetting we need Mother Earth to survive.

Where was my voice when those decisions were made?
Why did I passively shrug and sigh?
The future is now, and it’s melting away.
Our precious planet, once so vibrant, now dies.
 
Copyright 1995 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman
 

"Butterflies and Hummingbirds"

 

 

 

Camera

weighing heavily in hand

 longing for the perfect shot

yearning to capture a butterfly

floating delicately on a flower

holding breath to capture the hummingbird’s faerie flight

balancing luck and patience

focusing life’s lens  

Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

 

 

 

"Something to Prove"

  

unnatural competition
sibling rivalries created and nurtured
by narcissistic manipulations
the alcoholic mother and enabling father
doling out love to the winners
the challenge evolves
 to plastic wives and drunken children
awards for misogyny and adultery
applause for cheats
 and deceits
victory gained
by zealous clannish unity
that punishes the different drummer
with ostracism and disdain
darkness shadows each generation
with something to prove

 

Copyright 2022 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman  

"Plans and More Plans"

  

overthinking
list making
best case scenarios
worst possible tragedies imagined
journaling predictions for infinite tomorrows
fluctuating daily between certainty and self-doubt
juggling multiple dependent  lives with limited reserves
 
nurturing
visions dreamt
viewpoints expanded outward
selflessly sheltering the weakest
returning to ritual’s comforting grace
strengthening spirit by dancing with fire
embracing obligations with the tenacity of hope

 

Copyright 2022 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman