Florescence by Valerie Parente

A flower cannot grow
without drops of rain.
You cannot grow
without tears and pain.
When you hunch over
and the stalks begin to sprout
know that the petals come next
and you can stick this part out.

Bees do not sting
unless they feel threatened
supporting the flowers
until it sends them to heaven.
When you feel meaningless
and without a purpose
remember you have evolved
to coexist on earth’s surface.

It’s in your nature
to mirror nature.
It’s in your blood
to be enough.

– Valerie Parente (1-18-2026)

You Are Not Your Bruises by Valerie Parente

Stop identifying
with your bruises,
they’re not permanent
on humans.

It’s a sign of recovery
when the colors form
a reminder that pain
can be endured.

These ruptured blood vessels
they will come and go
they’re only surface level
and will never reach your soul.

– Valerie Parente (1-3-2025)

Possession by Valerie Parente

My dear possessions
have a way of possessing me
inanimate objects
that feel crucial to my vitality
dolls with glass eyes
but no bloodstream
yet I feel them in my veins
charging my heart beat.

I am possessed
by what I see
surrounding myself
with where I find beauty.
It’s not the devil’s magic
it’s creation, it’s Godly,
merging the material world
with my favorite imagery.

Symbols and signs
hieroglyphics from dreams
attaching to the ego
little trinkets, concrete
but someday I’ll go
and I can’t take them with me
the only everlasting possession
will be the love that I keep.

– Valerie Parente (10-18-2025)

Glass Sword by Valerie Parente

Glass sword
fragile
but deadly.

Your words
compiled
like a medley.

Their worth
a battle
of the memory.

When you weaponize
the very things that nearly killed you
you only justify
the suffering you’ve been through.

So lay down your glass sword
you are more than your pain
they say hurt people hurt people
but you are here to break the chain.

– Valerie Parente (4-19-2025)

Godly by Valerie Parente

You
are no more or less real
than any God
that could have created You.

Proof
is that You know You’re real
and nothing
can make that untrue.

– Valerie Parente (2-16-2024)

Afraid To Fly by Valerie Parente

I have these wings
but I’m too scared to fly
so I pluck out each feather
off my arched spine.
I whisper to them,
“You can never be mine,”
as I rip each feather out
then cross my heart and hope to hide.
I’ve always been cautious
too conscientious to try,
I don’t throw caution to the wind
I throw potential aside.
But these wings always grew back
and I started to realize
every time I crossed my heart
you began to cross my mind.
I was scared to death
when I let the wings reside
but I’ll tell you this
I no longer fear the sky.
They say wings belong to angels
but maybe it’s time
to accept I am the savior
who will answer my own cries.

– Valerie Parente (7-14-2023)