“Touchstone” by Michelle S. Campbell
I talk about you
less I guess
because I just want
to leave with what
I came with.
Not an extra bag of emotions
like all the other emotions
to weigh me down.
Just a clean and light step
in another direction.
Oh yeah, of course
I was hoping you would
pull up a chair and sit with me.
Me with you.
Offer me that coveted space
at your table.
A spot on the faded shelf
of your heart.
Instead
I left a piece of mine behind.
Jagged. Broken
and the color of rose quartz.
It really catches the morning sun
Through your window.
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Michelle S. Campbell Artist Statement:
I am a writer. I began writing at the age of 14 with a creative writing project for school. I enjoyed the process of feeling words into poetry. I started journaling and more poetry/prose came from there. I began my journey as an integrative massage therapist at the same time I was discovering and reconnecting with my ancestry. I interwove my experiences, spiritual and otherwise into my work. I like to think of my writing as another facet of being an integrative healer.
Writing is a therapy for me. A way to pull together all of the pieces. Channel or funnel them on to the page and I feel emptied. Relieved. Cleansed. It’s like a big sigh to my psyche and I can rest. I try to write in a way that’s relatable so others can also sigh and feel a little less alone or maybe understood on some level. It’s a manner of healing.
