New England Mama

Shining Through (For Amanda Gorman)

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

She was a beam of light

Shining through the darkness

Dazzling us to awaken

On a cold January day

Dressed in gold

She brought a nation to tears

And filled us with hope

As we took a collective breath

Her strong presence

Reminded us of how life can be

A transformation from sorrow and suffering

To healing and growth

Her story, her success is a mirror

Of our own collective stories

Rising up and away from the pain

After being with it for so long

She is our small miracle

Through our flickering faith that

Someday, we shall overcome

Peace, unity, equality, and justice

Will move from being concepts

To realities

Amanda, with the grand light shining through

Brought us hope and connection

A promise of compassion and healing

On a cold January day

Two Minutes to Midnight

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

It’s just two minutes to midnight

This old house it ain’t feeling right

Just two minutes to midnight.

She’s broken down and falling apart

She’s bleeding out, there goes her heart

At just two minutes to midnight.

The clock it’s a ticking, can’t slow it back down

The fastest two minutes that ever were around

Just two, baby, two minutes left.

Her caps are melting, the systems are failing

Some folks wailing, others go on railing

Don’t mater, it’s just two minutes to the end.

In just two minutes, she’ll be set back free

But that will be the end, the end to you and me.

Just two minutes, two minutes to midnight.

It’s the patriarchy

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

It’s the patriarchy

Look out girls

It’s the patriarchy

Here to get their thrills.

They don’t care

About their violent past

Boys will be boys

Women always coming last.

It’s the patriarchy

Look out girls

It’s the patriarchy

Here to get their thrills.

It’s the patriarchy

White old men think they suffer

While we burn and bleed

They yell and scream, “crush her!”.

It’s the patriarchy

Look out girls

It’s the patriarchy

Here to get their thrills.

It’s the patriarchy

Watch the evil white men cry

Don’t let them down now

Brush away the pain, whitewash the lie.

It’s the patriarchy

Look out girls

It’s the patriarchy

Here to get their thrills.

Big baby ‘NAH

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

He’s just a big baby

Totally out of control

Whiny, crying baby

Frowning: “But look at the toll…!”

“I’ve suffered so much”

He barks, again and again

“I can’t wait to be confirmed”

To begin my lifelong rein.

No composure, no grace

Good lord is this our man?

He lies and doesn’t answer

Tucks his head back in the sand.

I won’t hold my breath

Because it’s still a white frat boy’s world

They will sign it in their blood

Despite his black soul being unfurled.

Doors

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

Let me back in

How do I get back in

He is on one knee

Holding her hand

Begging, crying

I don’t know she says

The door is stuck shut

It melded there

From the heat of my despair

From the warmth of one million tears

He knows now the harm

That he has pressed into her soul

The pain that has sealed the door shut

The violence he did not mean to harm her

And he throws himself against the door

Again and again

He pounds on the stuck iron

That protects her heart

That keeps her safe

And he eventually realizes

He realizes that he created it

The immovable door

The heavy protection around her heart

And now he must search

For a key to unhinge the lock, to swing open the door.

Or he must find his way back

Spend his lifetime slowly picking away

At the door with a heartfelt love

Until the metal wears thin

As thin as a veil

And the veil is swept away

The lovers meet again

Bound by the heart

Strengthened by the healing

Held together as one.

Rivers

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

Last night I cried
A river of tears streaming out
This I not why I signed up for
My stance would not redoubt.
~
I didn’t ask for war and hate
Ignorance, violence, and fear
I didn’t think I would face this place
Horror and pain, year after year.
~
I tell myself, I am not depressed
Just sick and tired of it all
I am not unwell
Just suffering from the fall.
~
Each little stream
Running down the lines of my face
Create a larger river
Running into that familiar place.
~
Crying me a deep dark river
Running out of tears
Crying me a deep dark river
Over days and into years.

I dreamed last night

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

I dreamed about you last night
And for those moments
Or was it hours…?
I was hopeful, happy
Everything was good and right.
*
And then I woke up
Rain pounding on the cold tin roof
Wind screeching in my ears
And the tears came back
What to do now?
*
How to get back to that
The feeling of good and right
To let go of what’s holding me here
To walk closer to, into
The dreams of last night.

I don’t want

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN

*
I don’t want
this time to slip by
While you posture and postulate.
*
I don’t want
to feel this way
Full of anger, and full of hate.
*
And there you are
Saying women delay telling
And therefore it must be a lie.
*
I don’t want to tell my story
‘Cause you don’t believe hers
Far too often, all I did was cry.
*
I am done, I won’t cry anymore
Out of fear and out of agony
I will cry out the anger, again.
*
The world don’t need
Your same old thing
Spewing out, like a never ending rain.
*
I don’t want to remind you
What you say matters
There will be consequences
*
I don’t want to divide us
Yet, too much suffering
It’s building dividing fences.