BLUE UMBRELLA by Heather Awad

This is my first collection of poetry and I'm so proud to be able to share it with everyone...

I have been writing continuously for the last two years, and I knew it was time to do something with the many, many poems I had amassed. 

The poem “Blue Umbrella” was originally “My Umbrella” and when I found the book cover art, I fell in love with it and knew I needed to change this poem to “Blue Umbrella.” It was perfect!

 I love rain and different color umbrellas, so this poem captures a little bit of my whimsical side. I hope you enjoy it, along with the rest of the collection. It is my utmost pleasure to share my poetry with you.

Photography by Brooke Shaden 

Blue Umbrella

by Heather Awad

Someone said

good job today

and I was high

and maybe a little taller

in my shoes

like flattery mattered

while esteem filled

my pockets with pride.

Later, I walked in the rain

shoes soaked

feet squishing.

The employee lot

cleared out

as gravity crashed

rain droplets down

on my new blue umbrella.

I listened to sounds of rain

in puddles I tried to miss,

on cars with wipers going,

on the leaves in the trees.

I thought how happy I am

I bought this umbrella

with the money I earned

from that great job

I'm darn lucky to have.

(From the author's first book available here) 

Book cover of the author's debut poetry collection

Heather Awad: I began writing poetry in my early twenties. It started as a way to express deep emotional feelings I could not release verbally. Very bound by my own voice, poetry became the medium for me to speak. It remained my salvation in healing hurts, and in learning to deal with strong emotions such as love and loss. Throughout the last ten years, it has been an up and down process of writing consistently and seriously, to letting it slip away in place of other more pressing demands. The most prominent time when I returned to writing poetry, was this past January 2014 when I began using photographs of various kinds to incite myself and awaken creativity, and I have been engaged non-stop since. I have taken numerous online poetry and creative writing classes over the past year, and continue to do so. Much of my poetry can be found on my Facebook page here. My first book, Blue Umbrella, is available here. 

~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!~