"Shadows on the Wall" by AstroMommy
Full Moon in Leo (New Moon in Capricorn) Poetry Slam January 25, 2024
Good morning, friends!
Before I read my poem, here are some important reminders:
You can find word list #21 for this poem here if you’d like to write one, too! Remember this is a poem using the words in the list in the order they are in, it doesn’t have to be about any particular subject. If you are new here, please read this post that explains what a “word poem” is and the directions for how to participate.
To share your poem with the AstroMommy community, feel free to post your poems in the comments section below or, if you’d like to keep your poem private, but would like to share it with me, you can reply to the email newsletter or send it to astromommyastrology@gmail.com. I love reading your poems!
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Thanks!
Okay, here goes….
Timestamps
0:00 introduction
0:53 “Shadows on the Wall” written and read by AstroMommy
2:40 end remarks, thank you
Shadows on the Wall
By AstroMommy
trying to consolidate her energy,
she paused,
the words hovering on the end of her tongue like a salamander on the edge of a slimy rock
she longed for the days when she was more carefree
still had youthful looks
a smile that was full of optimism and hope
not the furrowed brow
and the scowling lips that were stuck frowning from too much struggle and strife
what did he expect her to say?
that she was proud of him
that she thought he was doing a good job
that survival mode was where she had always dreamed she’d be
the executive inside her offered an idea, rather than a scorn, but it didn’t matter
a scorn, distaste, contempt
was all that was heard
maybe it was the eyebrows that gave her true feelings away
her advice was unsolicited, unwanted, under valued
she had had enough of his hubris
it was always stressful
she was left with longing
gaze stuck on the zeros
the eventual shut downs
and then something changed
she breathed in a new swallow of air
and a laugh erupted out of her
shooting her eyebrows up so fast
that the salamander slid down the side of the rock
and into the water with a splash
fuck it. Screw this hardship
she sent a prayer out into the Universe
she knew there was another way to be
another way to see
another way to respond to life
that was more beautiful
more courageous
more archetypal
more accepting
the response:
The Hanged Man
Surrender
Look at life while turned upside down
Would that be the rite of passage she was waiting for?
And with that she did a handstand
Meeting the little salamander eye to eye
Casting two shadows on the wall
Previous word lists can be found in this master post.
Previous Word Poems by AstroMommy:
You Are A Mirror (Word Poem #1—1st poem-New Moon in Taurus/Full in Scorpio)
My Eggs Are Perfect (Word Poem #1—2nd poem-New Moon in Taurus/Full in Scorpio)
The Biggest Hill (Word Poem #2—New Moon in Gemini/Full in Sag)
You, Up? (Word Poem #3—New Moon in Cancer/Full in Capricorn)
How Do The Stars Speak? (Word Poem #4—New Moon in Leo/Full in Aquarius)
On The Beach In Fall (Word poem #5—New Moon in Virgo/Full in Pisces)
I Smell Like Peppermint (poetry/free write in place of a word poem for New Moon in Libra/Full Moon in Aries)
Terrible Poem (Word poem #6—New Moon in Scorpio/Full Moon in Taurus)
Broken Thoughts Spew Across The Page (Word poem #6, again…)
I did not post any poems for lists 7,8, or 9.
The Dream Garden (Word poem #10—New Moon in Pisces/Full Moon in Virgo)
beyond the wall, a torch burns brightly (Word poem #11—New Moon in Aries/Full Moon in Libra)
The Spider On The Gatepost (Word poem #12—Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Aries/Full Moon in Scorpio)
The Devil In My Dreams (word poem #13—Full Moon in Sagittarius)
To Be More (word poem #14—Full Moon in Capricorn)
Sometimes A Phrase Can Get To You (word poem #15—Full Moon in Aquarius)
Mercury Retrograde Sucks (word poem #16—Full Moon in Pisces)
Dancing Raindrops, Shining Stars (word poem #17—Full Moon in Aries)
A ‘Hag Stone’ Poem Of Uses (Word poem #18—Full Moon in Taurus)
Baking A Bread Ring (Word poem #19—Full Moon in Gemini)
The Dark Night Settles (Word poem #20—Full Moon in Cancer)
Thank you for listening to this month’s Lunar Poetry Ritual word poem.
Until the next Full Moon,
AstroMommy