As my children sleep,
I seize their sorrows
Looming uncertainties
Become a tapestry of bliss
Knitting new reveries,
I cast out their worry
They stir –
Deft fingers daren’t drop a stitch
I weave tales of far-off tomorrows,
Shimmering, incubating nebulae
They are reborn! Invincible, pure
Astral entities, stellar souls at play
Deep space enormous embraces them
They plot new paths, new galaxies
Try infinitesimal on for size
Endlessly changing; in flux, at ease
Their lashes tap dance as I spin new fates
I sew vermilion fields under sequined skies
They whirl and frolic, woozy frothing joy
All overlapping laughter and leaking eyes
No more monsters, no more demons
Grasping, grabbing at young lives
They delight in shadows, phantasmal playmates
Reeling, wheeling lullabies
Ragged breathing turns slow and sweet
Plush arms lose their grip
Plusher bears plummet, having served their purpose
Smiles caress pale lips
I lay down my tools; careworn hands rest
Silence, save soft exhales
Nascent dreams have been repaired
In the moments between breaths
Blaize Kelly Strothers is a writer and artist from NYC. She lives in PA with her husband and sons and gigantic cat, Ozzy. You can find her at blaizestrothers.com.
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
Creator Spotlight:
Blaize Kelly Strothers
Author of “Dream Weaver”
What inspired you to write this story/poem?
My children inspired me! The deepest feeling of satisfaction for me is making them happy.
What do you hope readers take from this story/poem?
I hope readers feel some kind of emotion by the end, hopefully peace or calm.
To give other writers hope, would you mind sharing with us how many edits and/or submissions this story/poem has been through?
According to Microsoft Word, at least 142 changes to the initial poem.
Recommend something to us! This could be a book, a short story, a video game, a project you’ve heard about, something you’re working on, etc. Anything that has you excited and that you want people to know about.
I’d recommend The World at the End of Time by Frederik Pohl! I read it years ago and still think about it often. I’d also recommend Isaac Asimov’s entire Foundation, Robot, and Empire series, the greatest story ever told.
