Poetry – Kim Karrington Cartwright

My Writing Process, Intention & Vision

My intention is to have my poetry be deep, not shallow and commonplace, to have substance and create a visceral response. I also want it to tell a unique story and yet have it be relatable and accessible.

I write to help one heal and cathart feelings and to see the light somewhere, somehow.
I want my poetry to comfort you, let you express your sadness, and help you connect to hope. My wish is that you feel safe, heard, and understood reading something that is so close to my heart. I endeavor to have my poetry have depth and layers of meaning and touch others at a deep level in a powerful way. I want my poetry to elicit profound, consequential and transformative experiences.

I often marry my poems with my photos. I want the essence of my photo to match my words and have them both, when joined, raise the experience to something unforgettable and amazing. I can always hear the words and music in my head. I see the words as pictures sometimes. There is a rhythm that exists with each word and combination of words. They must flow musically and create a depth of feeling as a song or piece of art. I approach my poetry lyrically and musically because of my background and training as a singer, songwriter and musician. The words must hold their lyrical tone.

Poetry has been my deepest form of expression. Writing has been my salvation and photography as well as painting have been my inspiration since I was 7. I wrote my first song when I was 12. All my poetry is meant to be read aloud for the best experience. Poetry has been such a huge part of my life and my journey. Much of my poetry is traditional lyrical poetry. For the most part I like my poems to rhyme.

Continued at the Bottom of the Page

Speak Dear Sun

Of love that stills the tempestuous wave
And supports the moon as it waxes and wanes
Of the heart that flies in stormy skies
And stays the course though it thunders all night
Speak dear sun and tell me why
You sometimes shine and sometimes hide
Why can't you be like the evergreen tree
Who remains constant, faithful in who it claims to be
Why do you withdraw your warmth when the night falls
And refuse to answer when the new born flowers call
When the sky cries and sorrow is pouring down
Why do you ignore its tears and turn around
When it is hurting so badly yet trying to be strong
Why do you make it feel like it has done something wrong
Dear sun speak to the night and tell it to be fair
Keep your light burning someplace somewhere
Do not let the wind bully the sky
Reaffirm your vow to return
Let your love be assured
And be forever an ally

Hold onto the Flame that Burns Bright

Hold onto the flame that burns bright
That unyielding spark, the indomitable light
It will not burn, it will not spite
Never let go of the good fight
Keep your soul's yearning, quest for dynamic learning
Deep into the night

Take Not the Feeble Steps of Fear

Take not the feeble steps of fear
For in their weakness you will hear
The tales of woe for a thousand years
Harkening gloom, unrest, mistrust
Heed not the alarmist rhetoric set to combust
Hold onto independent thought and words that are just
Infused with temperance and wisdom’s mighty must
Inhale the fragrance of love’s stable sounds
Its perfumed echo of sanity astounds
Rise with freedom’s courage in leaps and bounds
Keep your eyes to the stars, your feet deeply rooted in the ground

The Rainbow Catcher

Sunlight flickering, glistening, having its way
Running as fast as it can
Stopping then jumping, pausing then moving
Dancing as a courtesan
Swirling and gyrating with its colored veils
Shimmering sparkles of delight
Painting through the prism, splashing against the wall
With all its multicolored might

Liberated pools of luminosity
The beams just cannot be caught
The catcher in its organized, crystallized home
Cannot place them where they choose to be not

Flaws in the crystal castle worry the uneducated eye
That it cannot shine clear if it is imperfect
Unaware it has been transmogrified
Herald the amazement, the fascination of it all
The light multiplies its glory through humbling flaws

In vibrant attire, the beams perform a brilliant ballet
A magnificent spectacle of the spectrum’s array
The sun sets, the ballet ends, the catcher rests
The rainbow maker has left the stage

Can Love Be Known

If love holds the light
That lights the way
And hears more than words could ever say
Speaks in silence
when chaos has come to play

Can this love be known
In the darkest of days
When fear is the lion that cannot be tamed
When ego sets the ground aflame
Envy crumbles the mountains
And greed steals the rain

If love is true and
Will not change
Will not abandon, deny or estrange
Will there come a day
When hearts are open, minds are pure
Kindness is normal, integrity is assured

Will love that can part the sands of time
Embodies the melody of life and sings its rhymes
Can that love shift the world paradigm
To a peace that is hardwired in every cell and bloodline
That life can be lived, dreams productive
Hearts fulfilled, happiness instilled
Wishes no longer denied
Liberty for all and for all wings to fly

Fear Will Not Win the Fight

Power led by wisdom's temperate hand
Can conquer realms of darkness and fire withstand
Light's dominion can rise again
When peace reclaims the changeable wind
Be still the night
Fear will not win the fight
Behold all that is right
Awakened from the nightmare of strife
Each authentic step bringing closer the fulfillment of life

Bloom

Set free your worried and conflicted mind
Unveil your heart in the breeze that is true and kind

Give yourself fully to the energy of nature that is unconfined
Fling the unbearable into the mighty wind that it may be redesigned

Bloom with unbridled passion that only perfect love’s kiss can define
Soar supported by endless space, the unseen substance and grace of the divine

Chrysanthemum Bloom Infusion

Delicately, gently, softly the chrysanthemum bud is placed in the water
It opens its soul slowly but surely, exposing its most intimate parts
It stretches out its plump, full, luscious arms in fluffy abandon
Uninhibited, it reveals all of its essence, naked, vulnerable
Ready to give the totality of itself, emanate its rich sweetness
In the water of spirit it blooms, it embraces all of its glorious nature
And yields itself fully so that its aroma and beauty
Soothe and uplift all who touch or partake of its presence

Passionately, Completely You Hold My Heart

Touch me sweetly, love me deeply, hold me softly
Speak to me of your dreams mundane and lofty
Listen to me thoughtfully and sincerely
With straightforward heart, hear my soul so clearly
I shall embrace you with the intention to honor you
Trust in your goodness henceforth allowing myself to believe in you
I will take the steady hand of faith
Walk the path of love’s unfoldment with you as my mate
I love in love as love is my reason, my journey, my goal
Bringing us together we stand, we shelter, we flow
You are my balance, my mirror, my companion, my counterpart
Passionately, completely you hold my heart

It’s None of My Business

It’s none of your business, the man cried out to me
His name was Past, he looked very sad
He said – Leave me alone, Set me free

It’s none of your business, the man cried out to me
His name was Future, he told me he was preoccupied
and did not want any moochers
He said – Don’t come around, Let me be

It’s none of your business, the family cried out to me
Their name was Opinion and they looked at me strangely
They said not to bother them; they had better things to do
Than worry about my feelings and what I was going through

The father’s name was World; the mother’s name was Mind
The son’s name was Relations; the daughter’s name was Time
There was a little baby named Self

It was none of my business I had to agree
The stress of always worrying was getting the best of me
My brain was letting lots of renters in when they hadn’t paid any rent
It was getting very cluttered and all my resources were being spent

A man named Present called to me
He said it was my business to keep him company
He seemed so pleasant, so poised, so calm
He said relax, do what you like, let this be your ashram
He said there would be time to do everything if I just let myself be
Stay in the now, live my expression, and be delightfully free

Lift Up Love

If you like to walk on slippery stones
And covet that which is not your own
If the words you say are just for show
And when tempests flare you will be sure to go
If you won’t help another drowning in quicksand
Then reveal it now for unsteady times are at hand
If your heart is true and your words are kind
Let me find you though the moon is the only light left to shine
If I can count on your actions to mirror what you say
And your compassion and loyalty you genuinely display
Come to me and let us find kindred hearts and honest souls
To lift up love, impart peace, and in sweet embrace humanity uphold

Upon My Heart Shall Bliss Lay

Let my parting be well forevermore
And complete with those who have caused me harm
Let me allow my compass to turn with Love's winds
That I may follow the breeze of contentment
And hereafter know the company of those I can call true, kind, and loyal friends

Let me honor the beckoning of my heart's desire
The passion of my talents yearning to be heard
That I may hear the song of my soul and let it fly freely, sweetly, safely
With not a speck of dirt where duality sleeps being stirred

Upon my heart shall bliss lay and I shall greet each day
In the fulfillment of my destiny
Knowing that I have found the completeness in the majesty of being
That I will fare the world with a smile on my lips
And taste the bounty, the feast of nature’s wonders
Behold the glory of the gentle creatures, I in joy ever evolving
Following my calling, seeing in believing

That until the last breath parts from my body and I sail away
That I will endeavor to make each moment count
To drink from the cup of tranquility
Recognizing that all appearances that try to move me
I will with ease surmount

My Writing Process, Intention & Vision (Continued from Above)

I feel with all the heartache, suffering, trauma, catastrophe and fear in the world right now it's hard for people to process their feelings. And often they are told by others to deny or suppress them. Their feelings are dismissed. Many of my poems are meant to help someone process the feelings and give them some comfort, clarity, and hope. My heart goes out to all who are suffering in the world today. I also grieve for all the animals who are hurt and afraid. Having been through much trauma and injury in my life and dealing with severe pain I try to write that which I hope will provide relief to those who are suffering.

I try to create that which is of beauty and will inspire, empower, and illuminate. Everything I do is with the highest intention and integrity. It is wonderful to be understood as an artist and have someone catch your artistic and photographic vision - to see the beauty and possibility of something made of nature, to see it be transformed into a different expression, made to be magical or modernistic, surreal or impressionistic like a painting, a work of art. It's fun and exciting to create a fantasy world out of simple scenes or images.

If one delves into my poems they will find different levels of meaning from a macrocosmic and microcosmic standpoint. At times I endeavor to tell several stories or viewpoints at one time. My poetry is very close to my heart and comes from a vulnerable place. It has helped me process life events and cathart emotions and I try to always take every poem to the light, towards resolution at the end to help not only me but others. I experience everything I write at a deep level.

I express the experience of emotions and all the facets of what that means. The greatest potency of my poems comes when saying them out loud and viewing the photo, which I have matched to them, at the same time. It provides a truly visceral experience. Sometimes the seeming simpler poems actually bring up the deepest emotions. This way it can help the reader release fears, embrace hope, and shift the energy.

With my poetry I try to address issues that people are confronted with in daily living and offer any insight I have gleaned as well as a way to cathart and release the emotions so that more clarity, peace, and well being can be achieved. It is important to talk about hardships, pain and heartache but in a way that is intelligent, heartfelt, thoughtful, authentic and sincere. With my art I always try to take one towards that which is the light, towards hope, towards solutions versus bringing someone down into darkness and despair. I believe in tackling tough subjects creatively and artistically with dignity, wisdom and compassion.