I Used to be a Creature of Hope
written by: Karen Southall Watts
A coyote howled in the frozen, pre-dawn, air,
in this winter that won’t seem to end,
as the garbage truck arrived and began the banging,
roaring, and muffled cursing,
that meant days of trash were finally going away.
Every day the news brings me to tears,
as the trials of mankind drag on,
in kingdoms, and fiefdoms, and conclaves,
where evil men, whose greed can never be sated,
find new ways to deprive us of daily bread.
No amount of prayer is enough,
songs, and meditations provide a moment’s balm,
and then I am felled by waves of bitterness,
the resentment and resignation of those I hold dear,
who say the ice will never melt.
Karen Southall Watts, is an educator, speaker, coach, and avid walker. Her works have been featured at Fairfield Scribes, Free Flash Fiction, The Drabble, Sledgehammer Lit, 101Words, Paragraph Planet, Soren Lit, Spillwords Press, and The Chamber Magazine. Karen is a three-time Pushcart nominee for poetry. Her poetry chapbook, Desire, Dreams and Dust was released in April of 2023.
Latest posts by Karen Southall Watts (see all)
- I Used to be a Creature of Hope - April 7, 2026
- Tangled Traditions - December 25, 2025
- Everlasting Kiss - October 24, 2025
