Rippling

in nature i am
water in the breeze
going with the flow

in society i thrash
every cell halting
resistance grows
i become boulder
thrown off cliffs
accelerating through
no choice of my own
landing hard
splitting open
shattering into
everything wrong

—Terri Guillemets

Tough enough

they say I am sensitive
and that I’m not tough —
enough.  but — I made
it this far — ain’t I have?
amongst y’all, who are.

—Terri Guillemets