SD - 40

Snow fell fast
and silent,
I had already
forgotten
how snow can muffle
the sounds of night.
If you've been
there before,
you know how it feels
to have the night,
lit up by the reflection
of the snow.

When rain falls
it hits the ground with great might.
Too heavy and loud.

1/10/2016
Riley Welch

Big Picture

So, things start
so small.
You build out and out.
It's hardest to remember
the puzzle piece.
Like the inner workings
of a cell
and how proteins can build
up a person - so small you can't even see them.
But then,
there comes even more to understand.
How do muscles move?
Think of what's behind that.
The cells and nerves that move the muscles.
And the muscles itself.

Bigger picture,
why is the person moving their arm?
Lunged back, ready to punch, wave point?

But why do our muscles
work the way they do?

Is there a why and
a how to everything?

It's easier, sometimes
for me to know why the person is moving their arm
than to consider
what release lets the muscles move at all.

1/10/2016
Riley Welch

Round

Laughter comes out in short bursts,
Even without sound
you know the gasp
of a laugh.
Silent
in a theater,
when it wasn't
meant to slip out.
And booming.
When you least expect it,
catching the joke off guard.
Chuckled
under your breath
during class
at a note your friend smudged out,
instead of taking notes.
You always recognize a laugh.

12/27/2015
Riley Welch

For

Round and round
the mind runs
endlessly
working
without breaks
or rest
unraveling
concentration,
finding a center.

12/25/2015
Riley Welch

4 Hungover 4 Line Saturday Thoughts

7:03 am
Rolling over
and gripping onto
edges of cushions
soft and heavy.

10:47 am
Rolling down windows
to get some air
some air,
the music was loud.

8:08 pm
Rolling feet
pitter patter
errands
food, coffee, words.

1:11 am
Rolling cool breezes
doors rushing open
silent and a little scared,
dark.

2/27/2016
Riley Welch

FT

Why don't we ever talk about
the stifling anxiety
the heart thudding through your entire self.
Heart rate increasing
how does anyone deal
with concealing
shaking fingertips.
"Hello, I am scared to walk home alone."
You know
keeping it simple.
I don't walk home alone
I don't
I can't.

Why was I taught to be scared
and why didn't anyone stop me.
Why didn't anyone tell me to be brave.
Why didn't anyone tell me, to stop crying
why, instead,
did they validate my fear
comforting me,
I wish someone had yelled.
And told me
it was no big deal,
it was time to get over it.
Maybe it was out of fear themselves,
of losing me,
into a dark cloudy evening.
I was always afraid of losing the trail.

3/4/2016
Riley Welch

NP

This poem will be the first back on my regular schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday each week. I am still on the lookout for the occasional outside author - so drop me an email if you have some writing!

And I feel like
I don't know what to say
even though
the symmetry
is screaming at me.
Unparalleled.
How can so much have happened,
and make anything else seem good?
It feels like I just want to unwind my arms
but then bury myself in them.
Am I warm?
Am I comfortable?
Do I feel safe?
Do I feel loved?
Do I love me
Do I love me
Do I love me?

3/7/2016
Riley Welch

FMU

It's
messed up
and crazy
and backwards
and wrong,
but sometimes the answer has no resolve.
And it;s too bad
and a little sad
and definitely cruel -
but round about
a hundred ears
and nothing else
seems true.
A skipping couple months
of hanging down
or around
and the sun comes out.
Dissolves the mist,
clear, clear blue.
Bright and indigo.

2/28/2016
Riley Welch

3 cups

She stirred her coffee
so carefully
because she knew
if she rushed
she would spill,
carelessly.
And she wouldn't want to clean it up,
but if she let it dry
on the counter
it would be so
so
much harder to clean.
So she stirred carefully,
to avoid the problem completely.

2/25/2016
Riley Welch

sY

"Positive experience
can serve
as a distraction from life"
From a linear point of view
why not diverge,
just every now and then
from a designated path.

It could clear up
doubt
and let you see
if just for a moment
things could go, well,
more poorly.

2/25/2016
Riley Welch

The Dark Green Collection

These poems
are meant to commemorate
the time of the notebook.
What happened
since September
when the dark green book began.
Things moved
quickly,
busy,
so busy.
Which is a proper
explanation
for just how many months
it took to fill
this one.
Long stretched.
Nine to nine days.
Working, schooling
laughing, learning.
These sets of months
were
happy.
Perhaps the happiest yet.

12/23/2015
Riley Welch

AV.MC.

Homey smells
of
fresh seared onions
drifted
in preparation
for a feast
of family
of walking on light
eggshells,
only if to avoid
conflict.
I remain conscious
of the words that leave my mouth.
Don't we want to celebrate joy here,
no need to cause
commotions.
Sometimes, though,
frustration,
is better to ignore.
If only for the sake
of someone else's happiness.

12/23/2015
Riley Welch

Onward

The pages of this book, have
almost,
filled to the ___
I feel ready to move on.
I feel the need for
more
forward progress.
In the form of
completed pages.

12/23/2015
Riley Welch

Energy

There's something
especially
excruciatingly
lovely
about dancing
on a hot December day
crisp sparkling water,
spilling over with each
uncontrolled
turn.
Socks sliding -
who can hate
the poor attempts
at dance.
That slowly, surely, surely, 
convince everyone else to join in.
Short smirks
and unruffled
chuckles.

12/23/2015
Riley Welch

R.A.T.

Running against
imaginary
self-imposed
deadlines
have never been
more exhilarating.

12/14/2015
Riley Welch

12*2=24

Slowly
and
surely
the rules seem to
stick.
Hard then soft,
like chewy candy
or a melting piece of taffy,
on a stuffy hot afternoon.

12/23/2015
Riley Welch

L

Isn't it funny,
how words
won't come to me
until I have responsibilities
and deadlines.
I'll sit staring at blank pages
with not a care
or chore
in the world.
Writing nothing.
But then
when I have
work
and tasks
and things to do.
All I can think about
is committing
scribbling
out,
out,
out.

---

I opened the pages
without a thought
of the words
that might
fall out,
but it did feel right,
when my pen
hit the edge.

12/15/2015
Riley Welch

.

Today is the kind of day
where I want to be
alone.
Where I put
pen to paper
and let all my words
spill out.
Let my head empty,
less hearing.
And at the end of all that
I'm finally ready
for people to refill it.

12/11/2016
Riley Welch

302

A gas fills whatever space it enters.
It stretches it's arms wide,
reaching the edges.
Pressing against
walls containing it.
Sometimes it is content.
And sometimes, it is packed snug
and angry.

12/10/2015
Riley Welch

Speedway

They walked out the
door.
And I realized
how many miles
away
they already felt.

Can realizing
good choices,
are really good choices,
still be hard
sometimes?

12/10/2015
Riley Welch

DV

Complete control
without explanation.
Sudden turns look
like a mistake.
But they aren't,
they move freely,
not smooth.
How can emotion
trample through it.

12/10/2015
Riley Welch

The 5

There's this weird
nervous
excitement
bubbling up
from my gut.
I can't seem to
shake it.
I cant tell if I'm
terrified.
Or making the right
choice.
But it's too late
to back out
now.

11/27/2016
Riley Welch