Artifacts of Change
Teardrops meet my face.

I am fearless in my resolve.

I must devolve,

reprogram, and loosen his hold on me,

so I don’t spasm with nervous ticks

at the thought of being in the same place as he.

I must build my wall ever higher.

I must not tire in my vigil.

I must repair the cracks in my façade-

Hide the worry and present a strong face.

I will not allow him to debase me, efface me, and disgrace me any longer.

Love is a doing word-

Love is not in this equation.

Teardrops are mere artifacts of  change.

~Charlotte Greer Slater
4.29.09

Dear Woodstock,

You’ll never guess.

You know the man I said I’d meet someday?

Well, I’ve got something to confess.

He picked me up on Friday.

Asked if he reminded me of you.

I just laughed and lit a cigarette,

Said “I hope that’s impossible to do.”

My life’s gotten simple since.

And it fluctuates so much.

Happy and sad and back again.

I’m not crying out too much.

Think about you some of the time.

It’s strange and hard to deal.

Think about you lying there.

And those blankets lie so still.

Nothing breathes here in this apartment so cold.

Nothing moves or even smiles.

I’ve been thinking of some way to hide.

And there’s bars out here for miles.

Sorry about the every kiss.

And every kiss you wasted back

I think the thing you said wasn’t true,

I’m not going to die alone and sad.

The music’s feeling real these days.

Yeah, Boo, it hurt’s me some.

Never thought I’d feel so blue.

Woodstock, you’re almost gone.

I think I’ve fallen out of love, I hope…

I’ve fallen.. out of love . . .with you.

CGS3.20.2013

And as one who pursues a shadow,
As one who hunts in a dream,
As the child who crosses the meadow,
Enticed by the rainbow’s gleam,
I, knowing the course was foolish,
And guessing the goal was pain,
Stupid, and stubborn, and mulish,
Followed and follow again.

~Charlotte Greer Slater 2011

Everything
You have everything
Everything in the world

Can’t you just find it in your heart
to allow me to see my children?
Somewhere in the deepest part?

Tender as dew
Impetuous as rain
When you were born
I knew life would never be tame

With the allure of a blackberry Bush
Sweetest fruit you do proffer
But tough as the barbs and woody stem
So many facets on offer

Hiding, under a mane of spun gold
The fairest maiden by far
You are both subtle and bold
A spirit that will never grow old

Eyes that smile and decorate our day
Yet a character barely formed
I sit and wait for you to find your way
My golden child you will never be bored

Like the brightest star in the constellation overhead
You twinkle with mirth and allure
You leave my heart brimming in good stead
At once bold and demure

The moon was so bright tonight, so full of himself.. casting crisp moonshadows on the landscape awash in a pallor of blue. The stars refused to yield and they somehow shone just as bright glistening like priceless gems by candlelight. The owls sang their courtship..”who cooks for you?”; Then a sudden movement out of the corner of one’s eye as they would glide silently from point to point until their plaintive questions turned into a raucous belly laugh upon reuniting. This bawdy festival of celestial and bestial bonhomie continued as the moon slipped overhead with a glare of eerie proportions as he conducted himself. He made the horses in the paddocks restless, and me too. I found even my dim eyes could perceive my progress across the field to find the smell of horses and quiet munching. I reached out a hand to find the warmth of large bodies and a smooth summer coat. I leaned in, and the mare leaned back to greet me. I stood for awhile, hands flattened and skimming her coat until I was sure to have the delightful smell of horse left on my hands. Then I bid her goodnight and picked my way by moonlight back to my door, through the throng of owls belly laughing in the bath of blue light. Upon crawling in bed I relished the smell of horses that clung to my hands and finally found sleep on a night that plainly refused to be dark.
CvWG 9/2019
The night that refused darkness

Poetry night, so bear with me;

Emotional darkness swallows hope and innocence

It is said that light and darkness can’t occupy the same space at the same time, but I know that
it can.

Oil and water, when mixed, form millions of tiny circles, as the hydrophobic properties of oil close
it off from the aqueous solution. Still, they stand together, in the same space, at the same time.
As is true of life and the human condition, emotional darkness swallows hope and innocence.

Then, shortly after, the reverse is true. What’s to become of the one who sees the two exist at
the same time? Light, existing parallel to the dark like oil on top of water. The soul of the
onlooker caught in between the two layers, staring at them both in confusion and awe.

Very few have experienced the phenomenon of light being forced to hold hands with the dark.

Neither moving. Going not forward, nor backwards. Not up or down. Just….still. I tell you it’s got
every resemblance to holding one’s breath indefinitely. Waiting for God to say “BREATHE!”; Yet,
the command never comes. Blind faith and exhausting loyalty sustain the lost who continue to
wait to breathe.
CvWG