Denny Balish
BIO:
Denny Balish is a certified coach, writer, and facilitator of transformative experiences using creative expression for personal cultivation, healing and growth. She is an award-winning published writer of poetry and prose. In all she writes, the beauty and resilience of the human spirit shines through. She is a member of the Wisconsin Writers Association and the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. In addition to writing and playing flute with Madison New Horizon Band, she enjoys taking walks in nature, engaging in meaningful conversations, and hanging out with her little dog, Luna. You might even find her communing with crows.
Poetry
Tenderness
In a world ripe with suffering, tenderness is my prayer.
Too often life has brought tears rather than joy,
sorrow swells within.
Spent, I lift my face to the heavens.
Too often life has brought tears rather than joy.
Questions pour from me, left unanswered.
Spent, I lift my face to the heavens as
I hold these unrequited laments.
Questions pour from me, left unanswered.
Like a pregnant cloud holds its rain,
I hold these unrequited laments
until the moment of sweet release.
Like a pregnant cloud holds its rain,
sorrow swells within
until the moment of sweet release.
In a world ripe with suffering, tenderness is my prayer.
God is Like a Waitress in the Sky
God is like a waitress in the sky
who has worked
at the local diner
for as long as you can remember.
She stands patiently at your side.
pen and pad in hand
while you pour over a long list of menu items
that seems to go on forever.
If you aren’t ready,
She’ll come back
give you time
to get yourself together.
Sometimes small talk leads
to confessions,
which She absorbs
like the grease on her rumpled white apron.
She may try steering you clear
of less savory options,
which you can choose to ignore
because that’s your prerogative.
She doesn’t much care what you order
but that you order something,
after all
you are taking up valuable real estate.
When you’re ready
She jots down your selection
and goes away
for a while.
You never know for how long
but when you’re really hungry,
it seems to take
forever.
Sometimes
She plans it that way
to build character because
that’s Her prerogative.
When your order arrives
it may look and smell and taste
just the way you like;
that makes you happy.
Or it might look and smell and taste
terrible
which makes you mad.
This is NOT what I asked for! you complain.
But She knows better.
With a smile,
and an imperceptible roll of the eyes
She turns,
and walks back to the kitchen.