by Olivia Moore | Oct 30, 2024 | poems, Poetry
It’s time to guard my ears and my eye gates
So much information swirling around that it’s too much to fit on my plate
So many dating rules
What’s truth, what’s a lie?
And for me, being a single mom,
Do the same rules apply?
There’s so much advice about why I shouldn’t date a single dad
So many opinions about how many kids I have
When is enough enough?
Some days I feel like staying to myself because some days this shit gets tough
I’m just trying to be a good mom
But being accused of putting my children first
And if I decide to neglect them, then I’d be seen as the worst
To me, it’s ebb and flow
Balancing love for them, love for me, so it all can grow
I’m tired of the judgment, the whispers, the stare
Like I can’t want companionship and still deeply care
They say dating a single parent is too much to bear
That our lives are too messy, that we come with too much wear
That my kids will resent it, or I’ll be hard to please
As if love’s only simple when it comes with ease
But I want a mate who sees my kids as his own
Where love isn’t divided but deeply grown
I’ll love his children, he’ll love mine
Together we’ll build something steady, something divine
It’s not a competition, but a balance, a team
A family built on respect, love, and a shared dream
To move as one, no room for divide
Just a bond that’s solid, with love as our guide
For all the myths, the doubts, the things people say
I’ll choose to believe we’ll find our way
I’ll guard my heart, but I won’t close the door
Because love like this? It’s worth waiting for
by Olivia Moore | Oct 8, 2024 | Poetry
What everyone sees on the outside is a man who’s trying
But what’s happening on the inside is that he feels like he’s dying
Or wishing that God will take the pain away
And all folks ever tell him is that he needs to have faith and pray
But they don’t see that he’s more and more checked out
Unable to see the light
And filled with doubts
He’s losing everything that he loves
He chooses to engage in physical and mental battles
Instead of removing the gloves
He ain’t really fighting me
The battle is within
But where can he be safe?
No therapist
No savior
No confidant
No friends
So instead, he becomes one with the green
Sometimes 2 to 3 times a day
That’s the only thing to keep the chaos at bay
Calm enough to eat and find rest
Just to wake up hours later trying to do his best
But it’s not just the weed that pulls him away
Some find their escape in alcohol’s embrace
Drowning their doubts with every sip
Hoping the numbness will quiet the grip
That fear and failure have on their soul
But every bottle emptied takes its toll
Others choose to sleep, to slip into dreams
Where the world isn’t as heavy, or so it seems
They close their eyes and shut it all down
But they wake up still wearing the same old frown
The weight hasn’t lifted; the pain remains
It’s just delayed by a few hours of escape from the strain
So how does the cycle end?
What can break through this dark spell?
He has to dig deep within
Or forever live in mental hell
by Olivia Moore | Feb 24, 2023 | Lesson of The Day, poems, Poetry
Sometimes it’s easier to run to the bandaid
than to take the time to properly care for the wound
Unfortunately, Bandaids don’t heal
I’m hoping that you’ll wake up and realize that soon
The journey through healing doesn’t always feel good
but if you put in the work
You’ll feel much freer than you ever thought you would
It takes a whole lot more than hope
You can be aware and take baby steps
or settle for the quick high you use to cope
what’s your drug of choice?
what helps you escape?
One day you’ll have to face whatever it is you’re running from on your own
There won’t always be a hero wearing a cape
by Olivia Moore | Feb 18, 2023 | poems, Poetry
I’m almost certain that the “Good Woman” “Good Man” discussion has been going on for years
The internet gives it a chance to spread faster
I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong
What I do know is that as a people, we’ve always had to be strong
Back in the day, Daddy left for work while mommy stayed and made a home
Often having to cook, clean and nurture and do all the things alone
But she never had to work
Never had to worry about getting mud or sweat on her shirt
She was a soft place to rest
Sometimes she was the only place where both baby and daddy found comfort in her breast
But at some point that all changed
Mama got the right to work and put some extra letters behind her name
While daddy did the same
Here I am at 40, capable of more than most
I’m well educated about nerdy shit like HTML, SEO, and managed web host
I can also cook and clean
I can be soft and gentle
and on my worst days quite mean
But overall my soul is tired
Telling myself who I should be
When deep down in my core…
I just want to be free
Free to fix whatever is broken in my home
Free to enjoy a quiet, bubble bath for longer than 5 minutes alone
Free to be as masculine or feminine as I need to be
Free from my daily bouts of frustration and anxiety
You’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to change to fit someone else’s definition of who you are
Your best bet is to get still so you can take action
Being able to listen to your intuition will take you far
You know who you are
even if others can’t see
You have the power to think, do, and be whomever you choose to be
by Olivia Moore | Feb 9, 2023 | Lesson of The Day, poems, Poetry
There’s an inner voice fighting to be heard
but there is a layer of sadness that drowns it out
A layer of lies that causes me to listen to the voice of doubt
What do you do when you’re too tired to fight?
When everything feels loud …even when the house is quiet at night
What do you do when you just want to sleep?
When your prayers go unanswered when you pray to the Lord your soul to keep…
Some nights I feel as if I’m drowning
Choking on the tears from the internal crying…
I know I’m not alone
Sometimes I find comfort in the rain sounds emitting from my phone
I know these feelings will soon pass
Gotta put this body in motion
I have to learn how to embrace all of this
instead of judging myself
or seeing the quickest distraction
Candy Crush won’t do…
Neither will mindless scrolling
I gotta inhale exhale
instead of trying to contain the breath I’m holding….
Surrender and rest
by Olivia Moore | Jun 24, 2019 | poems, Poetry, Postpartum
Usually, I just post my poem with little to no discussion about the inspiration or meaning behind it. My last few poems have been about depression and each time that I write, my goal is to find the light in the moment or be a light for others. This poem was written during a moment where I was finding my way out of a dark space.
Felt myself coming apart at the seams long time ago
Didn’t stop to take a breath
Always had to be on the go
No time to stop or yield
Didn’t allow myself to take inventory of how I feel
One day I asked for a break
Eventually, I broke
Unable to do nothing more than cry
Unspoken words caused me to choke
Chakras misaligned
Crying out for help
But no one could see my mind
Therapist recommended medication
But I decided to try meditation
I’m learning how to breathe
A much more difficult task than anyone would believe
Don’t sleep in the power of the inhale exhale
It can save you from burning in your own internal hell
Inhale until your chest fully rises
Hold it
And release anything that compromises
Protect your sanity and energy
I’m starting to feel alive again
The path is starting to clear
I’m starting to see me
