To Poetry and Beyond  

I could string precise words together to tell a story or make lines look neat and pretty
I can take you from the thoughts in your mind to another location within mine
I can draw a line in ink for you to follow with ease
I can piece together a profound poignant vocabulary to create a bright mosaic of sound
Or I could rhyme to the rhythm of your heart with art to impart
I can present life lessons or simple truths as tiny wrapped gifts to share
I have the ability to maintain your attention for a literary mile and make it worthwhile
But alas, none of these are my style...
I like to grab a reader by their heart and pluck and pull their heart strings
dragging them through an emotional rise and fall along a scenic drive down an unbeaten path and make it feel familiar
Minds provoked and trying find their footing
then leave them inside the painting I’ve colored with a burning need the examine the brush strokes  
To be read isn’t the goal,
I want you to feel what I feel
To hear my words whispered in your ear as my truths shiver down your spine
For my pain to pierce your soul in the same way it obliterated mine
For you to taste my salty tears as they caress your cheeks
To be rendered speechless and paralyzed in the stale, cold musk of my darkness
You see, I’ve followed my pain
down the path it paved for me
and  found  myself dwelling  in a place beyond poetry
and I just want someone
to sit with me there.

© Julia Pauhl, 2021