Tess

This poem that’s a part of the Sister Series, a series of celebrating individual women and sharing their beauty through poetry. This poem is dedicated to my sister-in-law–a mother in the making–Tess.

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Tess

by Regan Smith

• • •

A mirror reflection of the heavens, 
magnified through her humility, 
she brings fire down to earth; 
nothing can mar this light. 

This woman knows how to turn 
frozen hearts soft again. 
I’ve seen her do it through my brother, 
through my heart, too. 

Taught by example from her mother, 
she grows deeper into gratitude daily, 
living mindful of the eternity that’s set 
before her, her husband, her baby boy. 

She will inherit the earth through her humility; 
she welcomes and warms the hearts of the lost.

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Faith

Faith is poem that’s a part of the Sister Series, a series of celebrating individual women and sharing their beauty through poetry.

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Faith

by Regan Smith

• • •

When all others see only a mirage, 
Faith sees the whole vision–
and oh what a joy she brings, 
being able to have full confidence
in the land that is ahead. 

In this vision, there is a valley 
encompassed by mountains, 
and with each foot’s step, 
there is a vantage point of glory. 

This is the land that’s been promised to her, 
and she shares it with me now, too. 

While this whole land was made 
with her specifically in mind, 
her favorite space is a field of sunflowers;
together they radiate their praises. 

Today, Faith is content and confident. 
She will share her vision with others, and 
with each word she speaks, she plants the seed
of faith and hope; their awakening grows, 

and another sunflower is added to her field.

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Sister Series 2020

Last year, I felt pulled to start a poetry series in alignment with International Women’s Day, titled Sister Series. In this series, I wrote poems with some specific women in mind, depicting past solely their skin, rather, penning about the beauty within their soul.

I felt a similar pull this year. When I went to go write these poems, I became overwhelmed with gratitude, for I’ve had the opportunity to become acquainted and know so many women over the past year. I decided to write every name I knew in a jar and picked out a few. Over the next month, I will be sharing these works with you.

While these poems were penned with specific women in mind—you will see your mother, your sister, your friend, maybe even yourself—in these poems. I want to encourage you to share these words with them, or even write a few of your own.

This first poem comes from a time I visited Ohio before I moved here for the second time; I was in the Columbus Museum of Art and started weeping for the people here. That’s the moment I knew that Ricky and I would move back here, and naturally, was the perfect poem to start off this series.

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Kindred

by Regan Smith

• • •

I walk through art galleries and weep, 
the paper and paint is beautiful, 
but these humans inhabiting this space
are what take my breath away. 

I see you be moved by an art piece, 
emotions emerging to the surface, 
until they’re shown on your skin. 

My heart is tied to yours, and 
with every atom, I can feel 
when you ache–when you have joy,
my heart soars alongside yours. 

And although today we may be strangers, 
our eyes link for a second,
and that scintillating moment
reminds us that we are sisters.

Metamorphosis

I’ve recently noticed that social media has evoked a lot of its users to promote being stagnant or unchanging. I want to encourage you to partake in healthy rest and seasons of patient pauses, but to continue in the velocity of internal growth or the pursuit of it. With that, this string of consciousness was born: Metamorphosis.

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You don’t need a sign to awaken and self reflect to want to rebirth from your present self and remain in a state of humility becoming a patiently learning larva that sheds its skin through the consumption of truth to build yourself a hidden chrysalis where you grow without all eyes watching and the world may see you as dormant but you’re growing wings and will emerge with an undeniable transformation and you don’t need a sign to encourage this growth in another or to make this metamorphosis cyclical within yourself

Eternal Rest

Moving into 2020, I’ve heard a plethora of resolutions related to taking a moment to breathe and be. To stop striving and working in a way that leads to burnout. This beautiful poem came right when I needed it.

Peyton Elise is the newest contributor to this collective, a bright and beautiful spirit. Her words and her heart always leave me feeling seen, at home, and reflective.

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eternal rest

by Peyton Elise

• • •

you know, 
the more i think about eternity
the more my mind settles. 
i think that it’s a constant battle within
that leaves us reckless. 
sometimes our own mind 
talks us into abandoning 
what is true. 
and the little false seeds
try to lay down in our bed of soil,
but they aren’t meant to grow there. 
we were created for an eternal purpose,
and that should bring us so much rest.
striving is such a stronghold,
and it creates nothing but the feeling of failure,
and lost hope.

so if you’re feeling a little weary today,
if you’re second guessing every little thought,
if your anxiety is riling up, 
or if you feel the slightest bit overwhelmed —
take heart in knowing that 
you were made for something much greater.
and because you were made for it,
you are just enough...
and you can rest in that.

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Photo also provided by Peyton Elise.

A Decade of Introspection

With the new year quickly approaching, I sat down to write and reflect on this past decade. I wanted to share it to be an encouragement to you, dear reader, in whatever stage of life you or your loved ones may be in. Life is complex, messy, and full of beauty and transitions.

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At the start of the decade, I was living within a world of depression, listening to my demons, finding solace in darkness, deafening my reality through near-daily drug use. 

I became addicted to that lifestyle, so encompassed that it itself tried to suffocate me. And in a last ditch effort, playing the odds of Russian roulette, I left everything and moved across the country. 

That’s where I was able to meet myself; I learned my love for writing, and drew closer to my sister. I learned to throw out religion, and draw into a relationship with God. That’s when the healing happened. 

I got clean from cocaine, opioids, and was freed from my long-standing eating disorders. I was able to begin to think clearly, openly, honestly, vulnerably. I wrote everything down. 

I met my husband and we fell in love quickly. We got married shortly after. There is such beauty when two imperfect people come together in partnership. We learned to embrace conviction and challenges. We learned how to speak to each other with truth and love. 

I learned that healing is a journey. For even though my freedom happened in a moment, the demons were persistent and continuously tried to make a home out of me. I sometimes succumbed to them, but more often, I rejected them. I was able to build this muscle. The resistance became easier. Depression is no longer my normal. I’m filled with so much more joy and warmth and happiness than I ever thought possible. 

I see my early 2010 self, and my heart is moved with compassion. I’m just so thankful that I held on for a little longer, and moved forward with the loving words from the small, still voice in my head. 

It feels like every year becomes challenging in different ways, and that our exposure to complex experiences increases. I think it’s meant to be that way. Even if our hours, weeks, years seem to be the darkest or the most dismal, there is a bright and beaming hope.

More than anything, I’m filled with anticipation for the growth to be had: the soil, the seeds, the shoots, the fruit. All I can be is full of gratitude and awe for the contrast between the beginning and end of this decade. 

And while my mind can’t fully comprehend it, I know that still, the best is yet to come.

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This past decade I wrote a book, sharing more of my journey: the struggles, healing and the all the in-between moments. It’s titled Morning Air, Morning Light and is available through this site. If you’d like a book, but are unable to get a copy due to finances, send me a note here; I’ll be sure to send you one!

Illustration by Regan Smith; photo by Eliza Miller.