SHIFTS IN TIME

Poetry
Written By Farah Lawal Harris

Much peace. Today’s poetry prompt is:

In “After Turning the Clocks Back,” Jennifer Moxley links present with past, using a few well-placed details to invoke both a sense of the daily “now” and a nostalgic sense of the speaker’s long-ago life. In your poem today, similarly compare your everyday present life with your past self, using specific details to conjure aspects of your past and present in the reader’s mind.

Here is my poem:

SHIFTS IN TIME

By Farah Lawal Harris, 2026

My shoulders now fall

well below my earlobes,

friends of old when

work felt more important

than family, when

heavy bosom would bend

torso and head to 1:30–

visible evidence of imbalance

from chasing success

I already possessed.

Today, anxiety moves less

visibly, whispers to me:

“What if I feel a lump again?”

Heart bends toward husband,

lips kiss at 3 pm,

visible evidence of life lived

with presence.

Farah Lawal Harris

Farah Lawal Harris is an artist and breast cancer survivor who inspires people to overcome obstacles and be well. Through vulnerable storytelling, writing, and theatre, Farah makes people feel less alone and more able to tap into their personal power to be their best, creative selves.

https://www.farahlawalharris.com
Next

MASTER OF FINE ART