Poems by Jordan A. Leturgez

There is a drum in the chest -- not asking permission,
only keeping time with the slow tilt of the world.
Morning folds itself into the palms of your hands,
coffee cooling like a promise you almost kept;
the city exhales, a map of small fires and small mercies,
and somewhere a child learns the fierce geometry of falling.

The river does not consult the stones before it passes,
it remembers every grief and every name
and carries both like pebbles in bright mouths.
Light finds cracks in the ordinary and pours through,
insistent as forgiveness, as stubborn as a lighthouse
that has no business still calling ships home.

Love is kinetic -- a language of repeated gestures,
notes returned in the margin of a day. Loss is kinetic too:
it arranges itself into the furniture and the silence,
sits in your chair as if it had always lived there,
learns the cadence of your hands at the sink,
keeps visiting at the hour you thought was private.

It never stops: the turning of seasons, the folding of maps
we thought we'd read through. It never stops:
the naming of things, the singeing of hope and the rescue,
the ringing of keys, the making of beds, the letting go,
the beginning and the small remaking after ruin.
We are paper boats on a rain that insists on rising.

Sometimes it is tenderness that will not pause,
a stranger's umbrella given without explanation;
sometimes it is the ache that rehearses itself at night,
a slow metronome beneath the ribs. Both keep time,
both insist on being lived through. We are not finished
with what we are learning to be -- not yet, not ever.

Stand, if you can, with your palms open to the noise:
the endless work of love, the stubborn chorus of sorrow,
the quiet repairs, the sudden laugh that undoes you.
There is a pulse in everything that breathes and breaks,
and even in breaking, something decides to continue.
Listen: it never stops -- and for now, that is a way to live.

Midnight breathes like a softened bell --
a hush of smoke and hopeful glass raised to the sky.
We fold the year into the palm of memory,
watching old mistakes turn to ash that glows
a little warmer than we expected.

Streetlight confetti, socks of laughter,
someone's tired song made bright by strangers' voices.
We count backwards and then forward, a small miracle:
seconds unhooked from regret,
seconds rewired to possibility.

There are pockets of grief we tuck beneath our coats,
buttons sewn over cracks -- not to hide but to keep warm.
Resolutions arrive as quiet visitors,
bearing simple gifts: a promise to be kinder,
a vow to listen to the soft things first.

A child unfurls the future like a paper boat,
and in the steam of hot coffee, futures steam too --
some will sing, some will stumble, some will arrive
with maps of scars that read like constellations.
New cheer is not the absence of pain;
it is the courage to light a match anyway.

So we step across midnight's thin line,
carrying last year's lessons like careful luggage,
and release what refuses to bend.
The sky fills with tiny suns of laughter,
and for a brief, shaking moment we believe
in beginnings as if they were prayers answered.

Hold this cheer like an ember in your palm:
tend it with truth, feed it with small acts.
By morning, the city will be ordinary again,
but something in us will remain brightened --
a single room lit from within,
ready to meet the quieter miracles of the year.

In the face of daunting trials, we stand tall,
Like mighty oak trees, weathering the squall.
Life's challenges, they come in many forms,
Testing our strength, resilience it transforms.

When the storms of despair threaten to consume,
We find the light, dispelling darkness' gloom.
For within us dwells a flame, burning bright,
A spirit unyielding, ready to take flight.

Like a phoenix, we rise from ashes anew,
Unyielding, unbroken, in all that we pursue.
Each obstacle is but a chance to grow,
A stepping stone, teaching lessons we must know.

As mountains tower, we conquer our fears,
Guided by hope and determination, our dearest spears.
We gather strength from within and from each other,
For united, we triumph, sisters and brothers.

In every setback, a lesson is revealed,
Opportunity hides in wounds yet unhealed.
Through tears shed, we find the strength to mend,
To piece together shattered dreams, our hearts to tend.

With every step forward, we leave the past behind,
Embracing the present, a path to joy we find.
For life's challenges shape us into who we are,
Transforming us into warriors, shining like a star.

So let us face each hurdle with unwavering grace,
Knowing that together, we conquer the vast space,
Overcoming life's challenges, we shall prevail,
For within us lies a fire, that will never fail.

In this digital age, where screens consume our days,
A poetry I write, to rediscover life's vibrant ways.
For in this sea of technology, we often wander astray,
But fear not, dear souls, for a digital detox will lead the way.
Turn off the phones, unplug the wires,
Let nature's symphony ignite your inner fires.
Detach from the screens, reclaim your time,
Rediscover the beauty of a world so sublime.
Find solace in silence, embrace the reprieve,
Unburden your mind, let your soul receive.
Leave behind the notifications, the constant noise,
Embrace the grace of stillness and find your voice.
To reset the relationship with tech, seek balance and connect,
Engage in conversations, meaningful and direct.
Immerse yourself in passions that make your heart race,
Release the shackles of screens, let creativity embrace.
Discover the wonders of the analog world,
Be captivated by stories, unfold and unfurl.
Rekindle human connection, bask in togetherness,
For it is in these cherished moments, true joy we possess.
Engage your senses, let your imagination soar,
Reignite the flame of wonder you may have ignored.
Feel the warmth of sunsets, breathe in the scent of earth,
Let nature's healing touch guide your rebirth.
Reflect on moments far from screens' allure,
Seek mindfulness, find solace in the pure.
In solitude and reflection, your spirit shall mend,
Rediscovering yourself, your essence, my dear friend.
So, let us detach from the chains we have worn,
Reset our relationship with tech, let it be reborn.
Embrace the digital detox, let your soul be restored,
Find harmony amidst the chaos, life's blessings fully explored.

In the quiet depths of night, I ponder why,
Why the stars twinkle in the vast sky,
Why the ocean waves kiss the shore,
Why the wind whispers forevermore.
I wonder why the seasons change,
Why love can heal and also estrange,
Why time slips through our grasp,
Why we hold onto memories that last.
I wonder why dreams take flight,
Why some battles we must fight,
Why laughter can chase away the tears,
Why music can calm our deepest fears.
I wonder why we search for meaning,
Why we find solace in our dreaming,
Why the answers elude our grasp,
Why we must journey through this fast.
In the mystery of the unknown,
In the seeds of truth we've sown,
In the wonder that fills our soul,
I find a beauty that makes me whole.