I shook off the house like a hooded cape,
And came out, free, into the March-blown street…
At a lash of the gale, at a sight of the cloud-tattered skies,
As a coat discarded,
I shook off civilization
And became wild,
And my naked soul raced the clouds,
And the flavor of the Earth was fresh and primitive…
—James Oppenheim (1882–1932), War and Laughter, 1916
Somehow, I got old
before really learning to be young
the old in my bones is calcified
the young in my soul is still growing
—Terri Guillemets
her smiling girl-heart danced
behind the grey, grey hair
—Terri Guillemets
scrambled blackout poetry created from Enid Bagnold,
We mature in knowledge and wisdom but never leave the playground of our hearts.
—Terri Guillemets
the years sprint, sail, drift, fly —
days melt into sleep
decades we no longer know
by taste or smell, yes
but hard fast memories tend not to keep —
youth lives on — yet, is long gone
birds chirp each spring anew
but our hearts sing the same shades
of childhood colors we once knew
—Terri Guillemets
Always jump in the puddles! Always skip alongside the flowers. Never turn down a good pillow fight.
—Terri Guillemets
My wrinkles are a playground of happy memories.
—Terri Guillemets
Comfort is — buying an XL
flannel jacket for the winter
even though you’re only a medium
because it reminds you of your daddy —
and on that first chilly day
cold seeps in though the gaps
but you don’t care because
in your mind he’s keeping you
all safe and snuggly warm.
—Terri Guillemets
I swing like a kid
and fall like an adult;
cry tears of gratitude
and pray in smiles;
hug and love, and later
hide under the covers—
wildly and humbly living
from dawn to the stars,
and ever back again
—Terri Guillemets
When most people see an adult skipping they assume it must be on the way either to or from the asylum.
—Terri Guillemets
Sliding down the banister of life is so much more fun than ambling down the steps.
—Terri Guillemets