Reason Behind the Smile

Reason Behind the Smile

By: Annette Camp

September 16, 2023

 

To someone

from the outside,

it was a smile 

for no reason.

But I knew better.

I knew everything

about the reason

behind the smile.

It was the sound

of lapping water,

and the sight of a

grey dragonfly.

It was talking

over loud music,

and the chatter

in that room.

It was laughter.

It was sunshine.

It was mountains,

rocks and blue skies.

It was wonderful

memories of that day. 

It was reminiscing 

about the moments.

It was pancakes and 

bacon. Steaks and 

potatoes, ice cream 

and chocolate cones.

It was a kiss. A hug. 

A gift from the heart. 

And a warm hand 

held at night too.

With the shuffle

of the sheets on

the other side of

me, I pause...

And I grin...

I knew everything

about the reason

behind the smile.

SLAM!

 

SLAM!

By: Annette Camp

September 2, 2023

There's nothing like

a poetry slam to

relieve your fears.

There's snaps, 

claps, and all 

kinds of things 

to reassure you 

that you are

brave. 

You are not

your anxiety.

Your difficulty.

Your hardship 

or grief.

Your discomfort.

Your distress

or pain.

You can relax

into the thought

of it's ok - 

You, you, are ok.

You are clearly seen

both visibly and

emotionally.

A sigh of relief.

Dating, now, that's

quite the opposite.

There is hope to

alleviate feelings of

isolation and loneliness.

A hope to share

companionship and

a GOOOOD life.

A life worth living.

A life that multiples

the joy and divides

the sorrow.

Then, there's the 

first contact. That

first text, message,

or if you're lucky, 

a face-to-face

meetup.

Going over and 

over in your head

what to say, what

topics to avoid.

Trying on outfit

after outfit. That

first impression to

summarize who

you are.

In this situation too:

fear and anxiety.

Will I be seen?

I only say what

others feel.

Feelings if left 

alone, unpleasantly,

suffocate the life 

from you.

SLAM!