In Brainstorms, Jennifer Bloom invites us to connect - with
stories, relationships, and the natural world that is often
hidden behind the façade of suburbia. At times metaphysical,
quirky, and emotionally raw, the poetry in this collection is an
exploration of what it means to be human and the moments that
can transcend the ordinary.
"The themes are familiar - love lost and found, life's ups and downs, beginnings
and endings. But no rose is ever identical. Bloom's poetic gift lies in her ability
to evoke what's familiar and shared by way of tiny, almost imperceptible gestures
and the powerful, sometimes painful, intimacies of everyday life. Her work
evokes the layers and textures of Mary Oliver and Joni Mitchell. Its color is,
finally, a defiant and joyous yellow, its music the first sounds of spring."
- George Gonzalez, Assistant Professor of
Philosophy, Religion and Interdisicplinary Studies, Monmouth University
"Bloom has a way of bringing beauty to the mundane, eliciting an intimacy with
her readers through shared experience. Recognizing the sacred in the everyday,
her poetry invites us to linger over what we might otherwise ignore. A sleeping
child, a quiet house, a butterfly in flight... these are the moments she elevates to
the remarkable. A must-read for those desiring to transform their relationship
with the world."
- Jennifer Hritz, Author, The Crossing and I, too, Have Suffered in the Garden
Cover Art: Hector Kriete
Photo: Diana Berrent Photography
Experience more at Jennifer-Bloom.com
Brainstorms
By Jennifer BloomBalboa Press
Copyright © 2016 Jennifer Bloom
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5043-6232-0Contents
Pull up a Chair, 1,
The Space Between, 2,
A Smile and a Wink, 3,
Trespassing, 4,
Don't Mistake My Silence for Indifference, 5,
Nordstrom, 6,
Filling in the Blanks, 7,
Heavy Metal, 8,
Same Heart, 10,
Prism, 11,
A Different Version of Me, 12,
Tequila Makes Me Frisky, Part 1, 13,
Unconditional Love, 17,
Morning Cup, 18,
The Space of an Easy Mind, 19,
Life in Full Bloom, 20,
The Empty Shelf, 22,
I've Come to the River to Sit, 23,
Life Can Be Funny, 24,
Do I Cry My Eyes to Sleep?, 25,
Why Do I Feel So Small?, 26,
Lost, 28,
What She Wanted, 29,
Heartbroken, 30,
Spiraling, 31,
Awakening, 32,
Rising, 33,
If Her Heart Were a Flower, 34,
Tapestry, 37,
Coco Chanel, 38,
Unraveling, 40,
Closure, 42,
Jasmine, 43,
Walk with Me for a Moment, 44,
Five Foot Zero, 45,
The Moment, 46,
On the Verge, 48,
Shimmer, 50,
Tequila Makes Me Frisky, Part 2, 51,
Last Kiss, 52,
Changing the World, 55,
I Am Afraid to Start, 56,
The Wildflowers Are Starting to Sprout, 57,
Standing on the Parted Shore, 58,
Chain Reaction, 60,
Each Day, 61,
Preparing for Flight, 62,
Metamorphosis, 63,
Imagine the Possibility, 64,
Same Old Tuesdays, 65,
What If?, 69,
Bliss, 70,
A Piece of Me, 71,
All of My Babies Are Sleeping, 72,
Sadness Comes in Waves, 73,
Walking Companion, 74,
Prey, 76,
Offering, 77,
The Rains Have Passed, 78,
When the Rest of the World Falls Away, 79,
Regret, 80,
You and Me, 81,
I Wanted to Tell You a Story, 82,
The In-Between, 85,
The Field, 86,
Reflection, 87,
Do You Ever Wonder?, 88,
Returning, 89,
Home, 90,
Hindsight, 92,
Completion, 93,
There Are No Words, 94,
Acknowledgments, 97,
CHAPTER 1
Pull up a Chair
Pull up a chair
and tell me your story,
a friendship we will christen.
For your tale and mine
are intertwined
if we take the time to listen.
The Space Between
In the space between
you & me
two circles intersect,
and what meets in the middle
is the essence
of our connection.
The space between
you & me
is a playground for our souls,
filled with words
wanting to express
what doesn't need to be said.
In the space between,
we dance together
to an unheard melody
and sing in harmonies
which can be felt
in our hearts.
The space between
you & me
is energy revealing itself,
where my truth
and yours are one
if only for this moment.
A Smile and a Wink
With a smile and a wink you touched my heart.
And though our tales seem worlds apart,
When we let our guards down,
We find common ground.
For beyond the outer frame
What makes us human is the same:
Our heart,
Our divine spark,
The still part that knows
What we all really want.
Trespassing
I don't belong here.
I'm trespassing in someone else's neighborhood
as I turn off the main road
and onto the quiet, tree-lined streets where people live.
This is where I'll take my walk today
and no one will know the difference.
The woman working in her garden,
the man with the four dogs (two large and two small),
the couple on their power walk,
all smile and wave
a friendly good morning
as though I am a part of the fabric of their world,
as though it would be perfectly natural
if I turned up the next driveway,
walked up to the pale blue house with the red door,
put my key in the lock and stepped inside.
But this is not my home.
I've never walked this path before.
Don't Mistake My Silence
for Indifference
Don't mistake my silence for indifference.
I need time to soak things in.
Did you notice the way
The gilded frame around the frosted mirror
Behind the bar reflects more light than the mirror itself?
The way the bartender shakes the drinks
In time to the bluegrass playing on the old record player?
The way the waitress in the long, patterned dress
Disappears and reemerges
Through the half-draped curtain
That blocks the view of a hallway?
I wonder what else is down that hallway.
Don't mistake my silence for indifference.
I'm not the type to wear my heart upon my sleeve.
Have you ever eaten an artichoke from the start?
Taken the time to peel back the thick, outer layers
One by one?
Noticed how each layer is more tender,
More yielding,
More nourishing?
The reward at the center ever more gratifying
Because you took the time to savor the unfolding.
Nordstrom
I was waiting at the end of a long line
to return something at Nordstrom
when a young woman came up
and said she could help me
at another register.
Relieved that my wait was shortened,
I complimented her coral skirt,
...
