POETRY
I've written and performed several pieces of poetry, including "A Piece of My Soul", "Crabs on a Rock, "The Orange Tree", and others.
Crabs on a Rock (2022)
Crabs on a rock
Just two, not a flock
Peacefully watching the tide
They stretch out their claws
And without a pause, view
The ocean, spreading far and wide
The winter is cold
In their shells they hold
Hope for a fast coming spring
A chill blows over
Mother Nature has wove her
Delicate seasonal string
Both crabs, One and Two,
Have not any clue
How long their small rock will hold on
Fearing the end,
Crab One, to his friend,
Says “it’s time to go, cmon!”
Crab Two hesitates,
For who knows what awaits
A crab’s life beyond small rocks?
But with claw hand in hand,
They move past the sand,
And the future for small crabs unlocks
Shannon Kelly, 2022
A Piece of My Soul (2022)
"A piece of my soul, presented to the world.
The art I create, The images I make
A representation of who I am, If not for just one moment.
Wrapped in a quiet cocoon, I hide away from the parts of me I’d rather not see
The art I create is the object of my loathing.
I become a critic, challenging myself to become better.
I become more natural, with time.
Racing against the clock to become a true artist.
To be true- must I be honest? or simply profound?
Can they be different?
I feel a metamorphosis taking place,
I change as I continue to walk this earth and leave pieces of me behind as I go.
I leave pieces of me here in this moment, but I don’t regret it
All the things I’ll become fill my mind,
A future of possibilities sponsored by my dreams and desires,
Overflowing oceans of choices creating storms of indecisiveness,
Clouds of thought overwhelm my senses until I remember
I can fly freely above the storm, feeling the sun on my skin
Pieces I create become a part of me,
Separated from my body but eternally in my mind/
In the minds of the souls presented with my creation
A creation I loathe, A creation I love
A piece of my soul, presented to the world."
Shannon Kelly, 2022
The Orange Tree (2023)
In the backyard of the house where I was raised, there was an orange tree.
In the fall, I would wrangle the hose, far bigger than I was, to give the tree a drink of water. I’d sit below its branches and admire the way the water slowly dripped from the leaves. It was Gentle. It deserved Kindness.
In the winter, I would stand by the tree, and wait until the day it would begin to fruit. It was Patient. It deserved Love.
In the spring, I would watch the small flowers bloom, day by day, admiring the progress and resilience. It was Persevering. It deserved time to Grow.
In the summer, I’d stand up on my tiptoes and fill bags with oranges and run into my kitchen to make fresh juice. Sometimes, I’d peel the orange before I could make it inside. It was Generous. I was Grateful.
My backyard doesn’t have an orange tree anymore, no roots for me to tend to, no branches to pick from. But I have learned from the tree. I am patient, resilient and I deserve time to grow. I am grateful, and I deserve the same love I showed the tree.
Shannon Kelly, 2023
