I know right now a lot of people are having a difficult time. When I originally wrote this book of poetry, that was the case as well. Many of these poems reflect a period when I was searching and trying desperately to figure things out. So, I thought now seemed like a good time to post some of them.

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Climbing

Some days seem dark,
and void of meaning,
wrapped in confusion and filled with missteps.
Others bring light,
and understanding,
a full grasp of what is and has been.
Progression tends to come in plateaus, periods of ascension,
then long, bleak spans of flailing that test us,
making us question and wonder if we are still climbing at all.

Pride

I swallowed my pride,
Because life taught me it was expendable.
And watched while others insisted keeping theirs.
I swallowed my dreams so others could follow theirs,
Insisting that they were more relevant.
I sacrificed my life’s path,
Because others felt mine was without consequence.
I bent myself to accommodate
Because others were louder with their desires.
I wiggled and molded until the mold broke,
Then I stopped,
And found myself again.

Incidentals

The nights are quiet,
the shadows long and twisting.
We walk a creaking staircase,
aware of steps uneven,
and unmeasured.
The landing is shaky,
but more stable as we walk deeper.
This hallway isn’t nearly so dark,
as the one beneath us,
nor nearly so long.
And the end is in sight.
This is our house,
unexpected, not smooth, at times unsteady,
but strengthening.
This is our house.

Milestones

Quiet milestones,
mark the road.
Not bright, or bold,
not flashy, or earth shattering,
but silent and steady.
Some missed, overlooked,
not looked upon at all until you’re looking backward.
A memory, an old photo,
a smile once forgotten,
that says simply and serenely,
everything’s changed from this moment on,
and nothing, definitively,
nothing will ever be the same.

Do You

Do you remember who I am,
Who I was dancing in the rain.
Who I am listening for your voice,
Who I was dreaming about what would be,
Who I am tending to our lives,
Who I was daring the fates to stop me,
Who I am remembering who I was.

Copyright © 2024 by Evelyn Klebert

Explanations

In this, her second poetry collection, Evelyn Klebert takes us down the intricate path of a personal journey. Life, with its particular struggles, pitfalls, and ultimately triumphs, clearly begins to mirror a universal path, the quest for answers that we all ultimately pursue. In this reflective, esoteric collection, we can all explore and seek some of life’s elemental mysteries and, hopefully, when all is said and done, emerge with some Explanations.