Works
Tucked Away Madness
From my upcoiming book Jenny's Story - Poems from the Street
tucked away
in the back corner of my closet
crumpled where I threw it
lies my madness
yes, the kind that
ruled my life
over everything else
that happened to me
the lind that doesn't
stay in one place
hops out of the closet
jumps up and down
so fast i can't think
makes really bad ideas
seem like the right ones
or slinks across
the floor, collapses
in the middle
and gives up
on everything
on life
so dark
despair rules the day
just want
some middle ground
i fought hard, for sanity
for a long time
didn't know
this was the
madness in my closet
not too long ago
i couldn't' shut
off my brain
thoughts ricocheting
off the walls of my skull
couldn't stop talking
pressured words
unable to be stopped
flying out
what happened, girl?
oh i thought i was cured
went off those meds
i have to take every day
they worked for many years
accepted i am not well
without them
but madness
lucks in that pile
in the corner of my closet
Jenny Olson 9//1/24
Jenny Olson The Poet © 2024
Edited by Necia
Aftermath
it was gentle and sweet
nothing like the anger of the hours before
it was quiet, content sighs all that were allowed
it was the last time
she lay on top of him
satisfied and spent
still love in her eyes
and his as he looked at her
but he thought
this can't go on like this
but she thought
this is how it ends
they'll have
this memory to hold
on those dark nights when it's over
but for now
in the aftermath
they'll take it for what it is
him thinking they were going
to keep trying
her thinking goodbye love
in the aftermath
it ends
this is how she imagined
it would end
but didn't get it
that's the hook for her
shakes it off she'll move on
in the aftermath
Adduce
the evidence was in
her world was fucked
she had lost her career
for a man who didn't care, but expected she would do it
and take care of him, she sacrificed, spent years doing so
gave him her life
gave up her soul
gave everything
for the crumbs handed back
the evidence was in
her world was fucked
he was gone
she was still here
adduced she could cite it all
every incident
a lifetime of them
she believed him
when he told her
no one else will want you, ever, no one but him
but the evidence is in
he's been indicted
found guilty as charged
sentenced
dead and gone
her world is still fucked
Jenny Olson 4/29/24
Jenny Olson The Poet © 2024