When it gets hard
and the weight of
everything burns,
remember
You were the first
to love this body
and soul.
Poem by Jessica Grace Sparks
self love
Rest
Be gentle with yourself.
After a day of giving,
even the light needs rest.
Poem by Jessica Grace Sparks
She is Courage
She is not a bag or a box
To be shoved in a corner
Or placed on a shelf
She is insecurity
She is imagination
She is as strong
as she is emotional
She is a tender heart
That needs to be held
Not hidden
Let her out
She cannot grow into
Courage if she is not watered
With love.
Poem by Jessica Grace Sparks
This is one of those early morning poems that wake you up needing to be freed. We all have those little insecurities and quirks that just need our own acceptance before they can grow into our strengths. Whatever fear or part of yourself that you hide – stop. Don’t keep one bit of your brilliance hidden. Human beings are much too interesting to be perfect, and you are the sum of every imperfect thought, clumsily speech, heartbreak, and scar. Let the world see you.
remember
When I start to doubt
the strength of my hands
and the reach of my arms
I remember that I’m loved
by a man who knows
my strength
and sees beyond the reach of
my doubts
And never lets me forget:
how incredible
how beautiful
how strong
I am.
Poem by Jessica Grace Sparks
sparks
She didn’t wait for the sparks
to catch on;
She made her own fire.
Poem by Jessica Grace Sparks
She Grew Love
- Detail of “Waiting for Summer” by Christian Schloe
She raised herself up
one limb at a time,
reluctant to make noise,
afraid to cause a stir.
Each movement bringing
her closer the place
where her courage
was hidden – waiting.
The little fears she allowed
to have so much room
began to shrink and from
the space, she grew love.
Poem by Jessica Grace Sparks
Seeing Myself as Worthy
The past few weeks I’ve come to realize that I’m way too hard on myself. I never speak up or share my feelings because I think they aren’t worth sharing.
This started some weeks back as I was lying in bed with my boyfriend and we were talking about my hair. For the last 2 months I’ve been growing my hair out. It’s hard since my hair is very fine and thin, but I started to take better care of it and not dye it. So, since I haven’t dyed it my natural hair color has begun to rear itself ugly head.
There, that’s where it started.
I described my natural hair color to my boyfriend as “boring mousy brown”. He looked at me and, before looking back up at the ceiling, said: “I think you’re too hard on yourself.”
I didn’t really have a response.
I started to think about myself; I thought about how I view myself and how I think about myself (and, from there, how I talk about myself). Generally, I am not the kind of person who defends themselves when their opinions are dismissed or their feelings rejected. I’ve convinced myself that whatever I’m feeling is silly and it would be a waste to talk about it.
Deep down I have this fear that I am not enough.
This is not healthy.
After spending days and days re-evaluating how I view myself, from what I think, to how I speak, about my feelings and my body even, I’ve decided that I need to start thinking of myself, my thoughts, and my feelings as important. As worthy. Baring the pain and secretly crying when I have privacy has been my way of dealing with hurtful words (from criticism of my opinions to those of my body). It’s not working anymore. I need to express my feelings and I need to see myself differently; I need to see myself as worthy.
I am worthy. What I think and what I feel is important and worth expressing.
I am enough.
