Amanda Oaks

HOW TO PICK UP THE PIECES

When you are left exposed
like a seedless dandelion
after an anarchic shitstorm,
don't bend down & yank
your roots from the ground.
Don't dream of licking the dirt
from your fingernails. Don't
vibrate on the breeze of blame.
Don't dress yourself in the darkness
of victimhood or suffocate yourself
with shame. This loss is not death.
Imagine a blaze of breath spilling
from a pair of thick lips stained with
your wine. Think of yourself a necklace
lolling on a lover's neck still wet with
kiss. Sever your perception from
truth by popping your head off.
Shove every sad song into the hollow
of your stem & spread the milk
on your skin like salve. Learn
by heart that you can't predict
the weather only prepare for it.
You will outgrow this. You are lion's
teeth. You are medicine tongue.
Your roots are resilience. When
you have your heart under a
magnifying glass the only thing
left to do is sing for the sun &
light yourself on fire. Be ready
for the next good gust but
remember that you are not
a candle. You are not a match.
You are a goddamn wildfire.

Amanda Oaks is the creator of Words Dance, a decade-old poetry magazine, as well as chief enabler at Kind Over Matter, an online haven for people to share stories that revolve around guerrilla-style kindness & being who you are with apology. She peppers the planet with daily doses of poetry, art & gentle business wisdom. Her & her work have appeared in numerous online & print publications, including Glamour, Elle, Parenting, Artful Blogging, Poesy & Nerve Cowboy. She believes in our collective freedom & enjoys laughing more than most anything.