Bitter headwinds howl,
hurling icy shards of despair
and disillusionment.
I bleed, yet I will stay the course.
~
Whispers in the blustering gale
warn of failure and regret.
Sirens sing of respite close at hand,
but I have no time for distractions.
~
From the darkness, far ahead,
beacons of insincerity light the way,
only to fade and fall behind.
My compass is true, and enough.
~
Others, on a parallel course
draw alongside, to port and starboard.
Bold navigators, courageous captains,
each with their own destination.
~
Bolstered and undaunted,
I sail, gratefully, with the armada,
plying the waters of uncertainty
to the shores of Come What May.
***
Author's Note: I don't know where it came from; I just rolled with it. Thanks for reading!
About the Creator
Dana Crandell
Dad, Stepdad, Grandpa, Husband, lover of Nature and dogs.
Poet, Writer, Editor, Photographer, Artist
My poetry collection: Life, Love & Ludicrosity
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More stories from Dana Crandell and writers in Poets and other communities.
Foot Bindings
I asked my grandmother how she knew she'd fallen in love. I am not sure I ever did love him, she said. This was before I met my husband. I was naive, a naked spring, a raw nerve of a thing. That cannot ever be me, I knew. Sadness swept in gently like a Moscow thaw. It is no simple thing, looking into a woman's vast soul and seeing its foot bindings. Now, in Italy divorced with my skin singed off, when I say I don't love him mean: I have succeeded at feeling nothing most days and it mostly works. Do you want the comfort of Nothing? Do you want Nothing, too? Be warned: you'll never be free, even when you are nothing. Here is what doesn't work: Accepting the stages of grief. Talking about it. Sitting with the feeling. Missing him—no, the person you were when you believed in death do us part. Writing poetry. That, too. When I say I don't love him I mean: I feel capsized in an endless, starved tide. What sometimes works: selective memory. You must forget ripe tomatoes and his beard and feeling perfectly sheltered in a big blue world. Forget coffee in bed, laughter watching TV, blowing out the candles on the birthday cake and the quiet all-encompassing knowledge that you are chosen. Remember only how love turned to a banal everyday survival act, a trapeze act unsure whether he will catch you, how the warmth stagnated and became sour, remember the foot bindings and remember the resentment boiling in your veins as you stick it out for the kids. Six-hour Netflix binges help, too. A man's fingers tracing your spine. Frozen pizza at 2 a.m. Random trips to the museum just to stand near things that last a while. The realization that crying won’t change anything. Seeing that life is just a dream, and refusing to participate in your own suffering. Bite your fist. Walk on eggshells around joy. When I say I don't love him, I mean he didn’t break my heart, he just stopped touching it and it forgot how to beat right.
By Ella Bogdanovaabout 8 hours ago in Poets
Why Black History Matters in America?
The United States of America is celebrating their 250th anniversary in 2026. I'm proud to be an American and as someone who was born here, I wouldn't imagine myself living anywhere else. This is a country where opportunities are possible. Where anyone can be successful in anything they desire to do. Equality, community, and togetherness are the backbones of what America is and should be about. However, we have an administration who wants to erase and disregard those who have made positive, meaningful impacts in our country, specifically Black figures, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Maya Angelou. President Trump and his administration have been constantly complaining and fighting against what they call the "Woke agenda". They use this excuse as a distraction from other issues they refuse to address, such as the high cost of living, climate change, and inflation. That equality is dividing America, when in reality, it's bringing us together. Being woke is not tied to a specific political party. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, you can still care about other people and their plights. Compassion and empathy for others isn't tied to a political party, either. We were taught as children to treat others the way we want to be treated and not judge others because they're different from us. Caring about others isn't a personal attack on your beliefs. It doesn't make you any less of a person. People who are easily offended over African American figures, past or present, or anything related to it, are grasping at straws. Current and future generations need to know who people like Harriet Tubman and Shirley Chisholm were, especially in the classroom. Black History is part of American History. It should be recognized, not hidden or forgotten. Besides, you can't shield children from everything, just because your feelings are easily hurt.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 7 days ago in The Swamp
Comments (16)
"I bleed, yet I will stay the course" was my favourite line 😁
Wonderful poem, Dana! I especially liked the "parallel course" stanza. Sometimes you definitely need to just roll with it and this is clearly a great outcome!
Awesome!!! Go with the flow!!! Love it!!!
The last stanza really pulls it all together. Great poem.
Oh wow, I absolutely loved the flow of this poem! So beautifully done!
Love this, Dana!! So very nautical of you!! Love when you just catch a vibe and let it take you places!!
This is so pirate-y! I love it!
"My compass is true, and enough." That line. THAT! Yeah! It anchors.
"the shores of Come What May," love it! Well done, my friend.
There is a wondrous motion throughout the entire piece. It flows like the waves they sail upon
I love this, I can almost feel the wind on my face and the surge of the sea. You really know how to create a powerful image!
Gorgeous & inspiring!
THere are so many times when we don’t know where the roads will lead…but we forge ahead in faith. A beautiful poem, Dana.
Sometimes ideas come out of nowhere and simply have to be written down... I like it!
Wonderful, Dana
Very fitting in these times! I loved it💕💕