Lisa's poetry, much like her presence, is everything that is soft and lovely and inviting, and her poem "Souls," first published by Nymphs Journal, is no exception!
The Writer
Lisa Mary Armstrong lives in Scotland with her children. She tutors law and is an academic researching women and children’s experiences of the criminal justice system. In what is left of her spare time she enjoys reading and writing poetry, playing the piano and long bubble baths. You can find her on twitter @earlgrey79_lisa or read more of her poetry on her website.
The Poem
Souls
You want to fall in love/isn’t this enough?
I’ve been loved/it consumed me
Until there was nothing/a dying light
I built myself like Rome/left my past life behind
A bygone era/keep your salty tears
I crave something more than love/sweet and sickly
Heat that gently warms my insides/bakes me slowly
When I’m full I’ll rise and leave
I’ve been loved/this feels kinder
After all souls don’t cry/people do
The Inspiration behind the Poem
This poem is about being afraid to fall in love again after divorce. It’s that fear of losing you again because it’s taken so long build yourself back up after that painful experience. I suppose it’s also about losing faith and hope that you’ll ever find that special someone, so you settle for less. You still crave and enjoy the intimacy with someone new but don’t want to invite them any further into your life. So, you sabotage the relationship and keep that person at arm’s length if they try to get too close.
Lisa's poems have been published in Fevers of the Mind, SpillWords, The Aurora Journal, and on the Eat the Storms Poetry Podcast. You can connect with her on twitter.
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