Poetry Today

The Language Beneath My Skin

I wrote this piece as a declaration and a reckoning. As a poet and writer, my work is born from the ache, from the moments I was voiceless, the years I was shrinking, the fire I kept swallowing to keep the peace.

Writing became my rebellion and my revival.

This poem is not just about being a writer, it’s about what it costs to tell the truth. It’s about carrying stories in your bones and deciding to bleed them onto the page anyway. It’s about being a woman, a survivor, an artist, someone who feels deeply and dares to make beauty from the breaking.

I wanted to remind myself, and anyone who reads it, that we don’t write because it’s pretty, we write because it’s necessary. Because silence was never meant to be our legacy.

This is the language I carry beneath my skin.
This is the fire I refuse to bury.

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels.com

I don’t just write.
I unearth.

Every word is a bone I’ve dug from the dirt of my past.

A fossil from a life I lived in silence, now resurrected in ink.
I am both the archaeologist and the artifact.

The buried truth and the one brave enough to name it.

Poetry didn’t save me.
It demanded I show up, bloodied, honest, and cracked wide open.

Sometimes I write with grace.
Other times I write with rage.
But always, I write with reverence.

Because there’s something holy about surviving with your voice intact.
There’s something sacred about letting your pain bloom into art.
And there is nothing more courageous than telling the truth

In a world that profits from your silence.

So, if you ask me what I do,
I will not say I am just a poet.
I will say!
I am a Firestarter.
A soul excavator.
A keeper of stories too wild for cages.

And if my words ever burn, let them.
Some things are meant to set you free.

Paragonwords

Poetry Today

Smiling Through the Dark Days

There are times in life when everything seems to be falling apart, and it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. In those moments, finding a reason to smile can seem impossible. But it’s precisely in these times that a small glimmer of hope can make all the difference. Even when the odds are stacked against you, a smile can be a quiet rebellion, a way of telling the world that you refuse to be defeated.

Holding onto hope when darkness looms close isn’t about blind optimism; it’s about resilience. It’s about acknowledging the struggles and pain, yet still believing that better days are coming. Hope is the thread that connects us to our future selves, reminding us that no matter how tough things get, we have the strength to endure and the promise of brighter days ahead. Keep smiling, not because it’s easy, but because it’s a testament to your inner strength and unwavering spirit.

Keep Smiling Through the Dark Days!

::::Paragonwords

Poetry Today

I really wanted to write a pretty “Welcome April” feel good post, but……….

I really wanted to write a pretty “welcome April” feel good post, and I know so many of us are pushing ahead with laser focus and doing our very best to make or through each day! But I decided to keep It real!
So, let me talk to those that are being left behind in their struggles, in their relationships, in their mind, in their ability to see a way out…….

Change will only come when you’ve decided that you’ve had enough, when you draw a line in the sand and say, “No more.” That will be the point when you reclaim your power and take ownership of your circumstances.

Yes, I know It’s not easy,
It requires courage, self-awareness, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. For it’s in that discomfort that growth flourishes. It’s in that decision that transformation begins.

So, if nothing has gone as planned so far this year, and you’re feeling stuck, unhappy, or unfulfilled, ask yourself, have I had enough? Am I ready to take a stand and create the change I seek? remember the power to transform your life lies within you. It starts with a single decision, the decision to no longer settle for anything less than you deserve.

Embrace your power. Seize every opportunity and gather the courage to move forward. One step at a time, one tear at a time, one heartbreak at a time, one self-revelation at a time, one truth at a time. Take the step and watch as change unfolds, leading you toward a brighter, more astonishing future.

~#paragonwords

Blessings/ Nikki Sterling

Poetry Today

Hello,

It’s Been Way Too Long!

So, I really can’t believe it’s been that long since I’ve written a post. It’s actually been a really productive year that has kept me pretty busy.

I have been working hard on my prayer journal collection, which is now available. You can view them here: https://wordpress.com/page/paragonwords.org/2308

I have opened my Etsy store which you can check out here: https://paragonwords.etsy.com and I’ve also created a LinkedIn page for Paragonwords, that you can follow here: www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-sterling-0061092a3

I’ve started the draft for my second poetry book, which I am so excited about, and I am also in the middle of my affirmation coloring book series.

As you can see it’s been a super busy year, and I am so excited for all the amazing things coming in 2024.

Hopefully, everyone is doing well and getting ready for the holiday season.

Sending warmth, hope and holiday cheer to everyone.

Nikki Sterling @paragonwords

Poetry Today

Grief

I want to encourage you today to hold on; to not give in to grief. It will rob you of your best days, but you will survive. There’s hope at the bending of the road, a shift in time that will forever connect the lineage of hearts and hands, of soul and spirit. What you’ve lost will never be forgotten and what you’ve gained will live in your heart until the end of time.

This is for you on the hard days

I know you’ve tried your best

To live with this emptiness

But the world

Thunder through your chest

And most days

Bravery calls out

For brokenness to take

Its place

You’re never one

To walk away

But your soul is weary

The nights are longer

And your heart

Is full of grief

Thank you for sharing this space with me

You can pick you a copy of Sackcloth & Silk on Amazon.

If you find this post meaningful, leave me a comment.

Nikki

© 2022-2023. All rights reserved. @paragonwords

Poetry Today

Hope Coming Back Home

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
― Maya Angelou

All of us in our own way are dealing with something we rather not speak about. We are imperfect, we are tired, we stumble through our days trying to hold on to the promises we made to ourselves, but on the hard days, I remind myself that I am still here, I am alive and bless even in the midst of my circumstances. No matter how dark the days are, I can still choose to let the light in.

This is your reminder, the light is always with us, in us and around us, choose to let it in today. Whatever you are going through I pray you find the courage to overcome and find peace again.

I love this quote by Earnest Hemingway, “We are all a little broken, that’s how the light gets in”

I think it’s fitting for the day and time that we are living in. Normal as we know it no longer exist and we are learning how to pivot and adjust. There are some deep darkness and even some hopelessness in the lives of those we love, and it’s up to us to show them that they are stronger than their circumstances. There’s light along the broken path, Show them the beauty in accepting the truth that change is inevitable and they can rise stronger than before.

HOPE, COMING BACK HOME

You are worthy

Of the music in your soul

The air upon your skin

The light

That has finally return

To your eyes

You told me of the darkness

How you fought and won

And I could feel hope

Bending the edges

Letting the light in

I could see joy

Coming back home

To the soft places

()()()

If you read this post and find some comfort, let me know in the comment.

Sign up for my weekly post

With gratitude

Nikki

//

ps..you can follow me @paragonwords on all social media platform.

Poetry Today

I Am Learning To Trust Myself Again

We are all imperfect, and no matter how hard we try, sometimes life will bring us to our knees. So the choice is ours, to get back up and keep living, keep dreaming and fulfilling our destiny.

Trust the journey, have faith in the little things. What you tell yourself matters, the affirmations and love that you give away to others are great; but remember to give some back to yourself as well.

Think about where you are going.

Where do you want to end up?

What is your purpose?

Choose the path that represent your heart.

Embrace your uniqueness and your strength.

This poem is about learning to trust yourself again. I hope you some comfort and insight in these words.

I am learning

How to trust myself

How to let go

Of the things I can’t control

I am growing

I am capable

I deserve all the love

In this world

I will not settle

I will no longer beg

For what is rightfully mine

I will open my heart

To feel deeply

To nourish the space where

Discontentment lives

I will fill my soul with

Goodness

I belong here

In the breath and longing

Of this glorious life

.

==

With Gratitude!

@paragonwords

Nikki

Leave your thoughts and comments for me; i would love to hear form you.

Poetry Today

Sackcloth & Silk

A Poetic Journey From Darkness To Light- Nikki Sterling

This book is very dear to me; it holds the precious words that I’ve kept hidden for years.

There’s truth, hope, healing, bravery, separation, heartbreak and love here Transformation is not pretty, healing is not attractive, its begging the tears not to spill in the school car line, it’s putting on your lipstick and smiling on the conference calls, it’s the prayingand the constant breaking every day that snatches the breath out of you.

On the good days you embrace the beauty of renewal, you remind yourself that you are stronger than the things that are trying to consume you. The first half of this book (Sackcloth) is a brutal journey through Sacrifice, Severed and Silence, and the second half of this book (Silk) is a celebration of Bravery, Love and Blessings.

Welcome to this space, rest a little, open these pages and let the power of words embrace you. This book is a conduit for every emotion that you try to drown in the dark pool of uncertainty. Know that your feelings are valid and it’s ok to open the door and welcome them in. Walk through your darkness unafraid, let your pain bear witness that you did not give up, that you did not nourish the space where discouragement live, that you welcome the light and set yourself on a path to healing, bound and embodied with the truth that you are not broken, you can self-generate the love you need to heal the deepest wounds.

It’s ok to cry

A little

It’s ok to break apart

Sometimes

It’s ok

To not be ok

Let your soul rest

Lay down the burdens

At your feet

The pain is temporary

Your sorrows will not last

Find your joy

Take it back

Make it a permanent

Symbol of hope

The breaking will come

The hitting rock bottom

Is almost a certainty

But the ash falling at your feet

Will be washed away

And the rising up of your soul

Will be forever glorious

You can now pick up a copy of my book on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFM8H3V

If you can relate to this post leave a comment for me.

Poetry Today

Are You Listening

Photo by mauro savoca on Pexels.com

I am still hopeful

Deep down in the silence

Beneath the darkness

A flame still burns

I’ve seen too much

I’ve endured too much

I’ve prayed too much

To give in now

I’m painting a rainbow

Over my scars

I’m washing the ugliness

From my tongue

I am speaking to the mountains

And the walls and the empty spaces

Receptive souls will hear

The broken heart will hear

Grieving families will hear

The children will hear

The confused and disillusion will hear

They will come

They will listen

For in our bellies

Rooted deep we have an innate

Desire to see change

To feel hopeful

So today

Come as you are

Hear my voice

Let change begin with you

One voice

One word

Softly spoken

Are you listening

@NIkki Sterling @paragonwords 2020

Poetry Today

MAKE IT COUNT

Make it count, whatever you do.
Do it with a willing heart; we are here for a brief moment, each second is priceless. Choose wisely the things that matters, the things that are good and precious. Hold life a little closer, love a little harder, be passionate about what moves you, listen with your heart….and most importantly, stand up for what you believe in.

Nikki Sterling @paragonwords Copyrighted 2021