HIDDEN BEAUTY by Shannon K. Lockhart

I wrote this poem during a time of personal turmoil…

I had just been diagnosed "officially" with a chronic, progressive disease, rheumatoid arthritis. As a child, I remember seeing my great aunt crippled by this disease and i was gripped with fear of the unknown, and at the same time, with a great sense of urgency to live my life fully, even on days when pain and fatigue are overwhelming. It was also a time of letting go of certain relationships and certain expectations, and a deep time of listening...to my body, to myself, to loved ones.

Hidden Beauty

by Shanon K. Lockheart

i want to sprinkle

beauty

in unlikely places 

at unexpected moments

uncover treasures

hidden in darkness

masked by pain

exhaustion

and grief

even when it is

hard to muster up

the strength to

unearth it or

create it,

when so much pain

echoes 

through my soul

as i lay down my burdens

they grab at my hands and 

clutch my feet,

insistent and needy

i stumble and fall 

on my path

your burdens 

are not mine

to carry,

though i still

gasp

as the weight 

presses 

down on me

and my empathy stabs me,

wracks my

soul, as i listen 

but slowly, very slowly

i am learning

to sift through that pain,

pick out the

precious moments,

like panning for gold

in a frigid mountain stream

or winnowing grains of wheat

in a fertile field

sometimes i can shake away 

the chaff

and cleanse what is left

with tears

of wonderment

and gratitude

and every now and then,

when i hold those

bits of intense beauty

in my hands

i am privileged enough

to mold

them into a mosaic of words

and images

to be shared,

lifting the darkness

to reveal

my exquisite love
for sacred connections.

Shannon K. Lockhart is a social worker, human rights activist, and teacher who has recently embarked on her newest journey as an artist and poet. She is a native Louisvillian, but has spent most of her adult life living in Chicago and Central America. Shannon spent 12 years working with indigenous communities, genocide survivors, and other human rights activists in Guatemala before returning to the U.S. with her family. Her greatest source of pride is her family, and she works hard to be a mother who imparts joy, gratitude, and respect for the unexpected bumps along the road. Shannon has published her poetry online with Rebelle Society and in DoveTales, a print journal published by the group, Writing for Peace. She can frequently be found drumming in parks with her family, drawing, or reading her poetry at the Urban Goatwalker Coffeehouse in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood.

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~