Author: toridreamer

All around me they soar
Dipping and diving and buzzing so near I can smell them
Musty… like an old church basement
Or my grandparents’ closet
Or an attic long forgotten

I plead with them to fly away
To give me just a little peace
But I can hear their faint laughter
Like so many times before
As they settle in for a long winter

“Make your lists,” they say.
“Drink your drinks.”
We’ll be right over here…
Watching and waiting…
Getting comfortable again

I look to the sky and call for the sun
But my voice is eaten up by the clouds
I breathe deeply and close my eyes
But there they are again
Smiling those haunting smiles

“Keep moving,” I tell myself.
“There are things to do.”
And they mock me in a whisper
As I pretend not to notice
That another day is fading away

I try to remember when they first appeared
Was I nine? Or was I ten?
At first it was only a few of them
They played with my fingers
And painted smiles on my face

In my teens they talked of love and life
They made me laugh and dance
And sometimes even sing
But they also made me cry 
So I tried hard to push them away

But today… they came in droves
In all shapes and sizes
And it’s heavy and it’s hard
And I’m tired
And it’s Christmas

Tori Burris Inkley
12/20/20

It is time

Time to rise above
On the wings of those who have gone before us

Let them lift us above so that we may see
The good and the bad
The hurting and the rejoicing
The joy and the hate

Rise above

Let us look upon this world with clear eyes and open hearts
Let us not be swayed by thoughts of power or riches
Instead, let us forge your own paths
Paths that bring us peace,
But also peace to those around us

Rise above

Let our thoughts be our own
Not those of the person with the loudest voice
Let our dreams be our own
Not those of the person who stands on the backs of others
Let our peace be our own
Not that of the person who only prays from a pew

Rise above

This is an exceptional moment my friends
For we have the opportunity to learn from others,
To learn from our mistakes,
To learn from our past,
To learn from those suffering or in need

Rise above

Now is when we have choices…
Graciousness over conceit
Love over hate
Unity over division
Peace over turmoil
Truth over falsehoods
Generosity over greed
Light over dark

Rise above

Realize that what we see in our brothers and sisters,
In our fellow humans,
In our neighbors,
In our parents,
In our children…
This too exists in each of us.

The good and the bad
The light and the dark
It all exists inside each of us
It bubbles and boils
And simmers and settles
In the melting pot of our souls…

And it’s up to us to decide what we reveal to ourselves and the world

Rise above

Let us sit in the clouds with our thoughts and our feelings
Breathing in and taking note
For inside, we are not so different
But our actions are what others see
What others remember
What others are left with when we’re gone

Rise above

Tori Burris Inkley
11/11/20

I cry when I remember my children as babies
I cry when I remember family and friends who have passed
I cry when I remember the times I’ve hurt others

I cry for my youth
I cry for my fellow man
I cry for my country

I cry when my husband holds me close after a long stressful day
I cry when I see my mom in pain
I cry when there’s nothing left to do

I cry because my head and my heart and my soul hurt
I cry because there is beauty and music and love in this world
I cry because I care

I cry for those suffering, lost, forgotten
I cry for those happy, joyful, celebrating
I cry for the past, the present, the future

I cry when my son shares his passions
I cry when my daughter cuddles her daughter
I cry when my youngest struggles with her schoolwork

I cry because I can envision a brighter future
I cry because others can’t
I cry because I don’t know how to fix that

Tori Burris Inkley
11/9/20

Breathe

Because you must

Breathe

Because your husband/wife/partner/lover still needs to hold your hand and look into your eyes and know you’re there

Breathe

Because your children need you to stand up for them, for their rights, and for their future, and to protect them from becoming caged in or having others control their bodies

Breathe

Because if you’re lucky enough to still have a job, you have work to do… whether you’re a teacher demonstrating to our youth that there are still adults who care, a pastor/priest/rabbi calling out those who arm themselves with religion in order to oppress others, or a musician/poet/artist of any sort who is needed by our country to remind us that there is so much beauty in this world… when we look past the hate and the greed and the ego

Breathe

Because until your heart and head can steady themselves, your breath will keep you afloat

Breathe

Because no one said this would be easy… change never is… you’ve trained for a marathon, not a jog around the block

Breathe

Because many have died… whether in hospitals or nursing homes, their own beds or churches, battlefields, SCHOOLS, or at the hands of domestic terrorists… whether in jeans and t-shirts, pajamas, or uniforms… whether on ventilators, sleeping peacefully, praying, marching, sitting in class, walking, or running… TOO MANY have died

Breathe

Because the world still needs good… REAL good… not lip service, not thoughts and prayers… but action, loud voices, care and support for ALL… REAL good… and real good trouble

Breathe

Because we must keep speaking… we must keep dissenting… we must keep going

Breathe

Because others can’t…

Tori Burris Inkley
11/4/20

I can feel it
Your fear

The long, narrow fingertips of your voice reach out for me
Me… and others like me

In years past, those fingers simply tapped me on the shoulder
But more recently, their grip is strong
And the persistent shaking, undeniable

Your mouth moves, but the words are lost in the chorus of others
And as my eyes move from face to face to face,
All lips synchronized, all bodies tense,
The words no longer matter

The fear is there
In the sea of faces
In the oceans of sweat and tears and blood
In the low hum of mothers crying
And the loud roar of those seeking justice

And as I place my hand in yours,
I can feel it
The fear turns to courage
The pain to strength
And together,
We move forward.

Tori Burris Inkley
7/26/20

Sitting
I heard
The droplets fall
Filling the space with clean, with fresh, with new

Standing
She felt
The droplets spray
Filling the space with gray, with sick, with despair

Kneeling
He watched
The droplets run
Filling the space with red, with defeat, with death

Tori Burris Inkley
7/21/20