LAURA WILLIAMS FRENCH - POEMS

Laura Williams French is a poet, author, and publisher who lives in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York.  Her collection of essays. "Wigs, Cars, & Sectional Sofas: Surviving Childhood in the 70's," will be released in late 2019.

The Hammer ​

A woman 
damaged by life 
her heart beaten and battered 
by men – and circumstance 
like a bone-bruise 
deeply injured 
slow to heal 
 
she took a hammer 
to every new car 
denting the glossy paint 
marring the pristine surface 
so she was responsible 
for the imperfection 
 
she had only herself to blame ​

​All Injuries are Permanent

she was lucky, they said 
the injury wasn’t permanent 
 
it was a lie 
 
no visible scar 
nothing to mar the skin 
aesthetically intact 
 
underneath fear lives 
coiled and hissing 
warning of danger passed 
 
flashback memory 
strikes in the dark 
 
all injuries are permanent 
 ​

No Time to be a Victim ​

prying eyes, invading hands 
unwanted advances, 
harsh words 
insults, anger, and shame 
all part of a past 
things that cannot be erased 
 
but pain lingers  
in the back of the mind 
demanding you be sad 
to dwell – to grieve 
to remain wounded 
endlessly lamenting wrongs 
 
tainted joy –  
toxic to the system 
misery is a hungry beast 
requiring nourishment 
of heartache refreshed 
to insure equilibrium and satiation 
 
days, weeks, years 
of wallowing 
epochs lost from bliss 
surrendered power 
to bullies  
and daily tyrants 
 
no more! 
not another moment 
lost to everyday despots, 
tormentors, or childhood abusers 
take back life – peace 
with no time to be a victim 
 
 ​

Oz ​

Landing in Oz 
minus the technicolor 
yearning to be Dorothy 
and wear the magic shoes 
 
Instead, playing the Tin Man 
until my heart broke 
 
Pulling levers while 
hiding behind the curtain 
Pretending to be Great and Powerful 
 
But we never left Kansas ​