Mystic

 

 

Another year beckons

Coups and calamities

Landmarks unknown

Patches of prediction

Stepping, stumbling

Your ragged heart fumbling

As history hangs in the fog

 

Let these mosaic moments

Melt in your mouth

Roll off your tongue,

Roll off your soul

Leap forward

                               With eyes closed

 

 ~Lake Huron, Ontario

 

 

 

Feel free to join us at dVerse for our first Quadrille prompt of 2018.

What is a quadrille?

It’s simply a poem of exactly 44 words, no more, no less, excluding the title. It must include the given word. Grace has chosen the word “leap”. The form is your choice.

 

Happy reading and writing for 2018!

Don’t forget to order your copy of 

“Chiaroscuro ~ Darkness and Light ~ Voices from poets – dVerse Anthology”

Now available on amazon.com and amazon.uk

You Go First

 

I feel you tugging on the mask

Your grip equals my resistance

To concealing my existence

Don’t listen to my eyes

They lie

 

I feel you dredging up the past

Sifting fallacies from honesty

My blunders are your pleasure

Troubles I do treasure

Don’t look into my soul

It’s old

 

I feel your tiny shovel words

Digging deeply and discreetly

I see your mask is custom fit

Perhaps you truly will outwit

Take it off, go ahead

You go first

 

 

Come join us for Poetics at dVerse Poets Pub 3 p.m. EST.

We are exploring the idea of masks, psychological or metaphorical.

Image credit: pixabay.com

 

 

Strange Road

 

I walk tight ropes

Intricately sewn of my own doubts

Back and forth I tiptoe

From sky blue clarity

To the rarity of

Predictions come true

And here I pause

One foot fixed and ready to

Fly across the flames

The other sifting pebbles

Of doubt between my toes

I wave to hazy horizons

That already know

My destiny

 

 

Today I am hosting at dVerse Poets Pub where we are using signs as a visual prompt. Let them speak to you metaphorically or as an allegory, take you to a deeper place or even a comical place. Your sign does not need to have words, as symbols have stories and voices too.

 

My Happy Feet

 

Beside my bed there is a magnificent mountain of slippers, each one a gift of love. She made them all, that mother in law of mine, from 1500 miles away. They usually make the commute in groups, a few couples arriving notoriously at Christmas, this time with surprises inside each one. Every night when I get home I choose a pair for my aching feet. There are those with extra reinforcement for the sole purpose of…well, yes for the sole purpose. Some days they wait obediently for me in true coordinated fashion, but there are those days when life is disheveled and one goes astray. Perhaps they play when I am away. I don’t mind when they don’t match, but when they do, all is right in my world.

 

stitching across stars

sunshine travels many moons

to scatter rainbows

 

 

Written for Haibun Monday #15 : All Things Quotidian (doors open all week). Toni asked us to write a short and sweet haibun about everyday things or occurrences.

Image credit: pixabay.com

 

 

 

Seeing the Light

 

We eat intentions for breakfast
Blaming our half done deeds
On calendars and clocks
We are the watchmen

 

We look to the skies and heavens
Waiting for God to repair
The gifts we’ve destroyed
We are the watchmen

 

We find faults between layers
Of good will and grace
Wipe tears from blind eyes
We are the watchmen

 

 

Lynn is hosting Poetics at dVerse Poets Pub! She asks, “Who or what acts as our personal or social watchman?  Do we choose to believe or ignore this watchman?” In my opinion, if society has failed, then we have failed…yes…you and I.

 

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years…#22

“Friends do not always reveal themselves.”

I am still hanging on to the theory that we were put on this earth to share with others. Whether it be our time, our possessions, our abilities, our talents, our compassion, our stories…whatever we have to give, I think we are supposed to give.  When doing so, sometimes we are blessed with interactions that lead to friendships.

Friendships are gifts. The problem is that sometimes they are hard to identify. If only they came in neat little packages tied up with a bow…with a little tag that says, “Really, I’m your friend..for real.”  Between reading social cues, dealing with your own personal insecurities and the fear of forming assumptions, it can become complicated…at least it has been for me. Maybe I’m just a freak so unique that I have trouble with this. I am a very open person. This could hinder the process of some potential friendships. I probably scare the hell out of people. Would I change this about me? Absolutely not.

So what have I learned about friendships?

I’ve learned that often I am afraid to call them that.

I know what I think a friendship should be.

My eclectic personality requires a wide variety of friends.

I’ve learned that the more time someone gives me, the more I feel they are truly my friend.

Although I do not fear rejection (because I am secure with who I am), I get frustrated when I can’t determine the intentions of others. I am not sure if this is a problem on my part or theirs.

For the most part, I think I am a good friend.

I treasure the friendships I have.

A friend can come in any size, race, age, occupation, social background, education, etc.

Openness is key to me.

Your spouse can be your best friend.

Anything pretentious, materialistic or superficial does not interest me.  My relationships need to be deeper.

I have learned that even at my age, I still have lots to learn about establishing friendships.

In my opinion…

A good friend truly cares about you, would do almost anything in the world for you, listens to you, advises you, confides in you, laughs with you and cries with you.

A good friend is someone who doesn’t care what you look like, accepts all of your faults, your mistakes and never gives up on you.

A good friend has no ulterior motives for being your friend.

A good friend considers the reasons you have become who you are.

A good friend sees your positive traits and enjoys them in the moment.

A good friend has time for you.

A good friend would sincerely miss you if you were gone.

Birds of a feather sticking together at San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Get the Latest Dirt

Sometimes as you’re strolling through the blogosphere, you stumble upon a treasure. That’s what happened to me when I came across a blogger named Melinda at  http://dirtgazing.wordpress.com/

Her unique blog features photos from guest bloggers, all with one view in common…..LOOKING DOWN.

From dirt, cement, unusual objects to water, sand and anything else you can walk on, it’s creative and fun! Melinda kindly accepted some photos I sent her. It is wonderful to collaborate with others.  So take a little walk on over to  Dirtgazing and see the world from above the camera.

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years…#21

21. “Give me ten crying babies…please….but don’t ask me to do a jigsaw puzzle,  or any  other tedious task requiring patience and hand eye coordination. I will probably throw it at you.”

 

I work with babies.

I work with babies all day.

I work with babies all day, five days a week.

Do I have your attention?

Diapers, rocking chairs, plugs from heaven, pacifiers, air-borne food, catnaps, fevers…I’ve only just begun.

BUT…or shall I say BUTT…

I love it.

Babies are the epitome of life. Think about it.

YOUTH.  INNOCENCE.  ENERGY.  OPEN MINDS…little blank slates ready to absorb the world around them.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Despite the necessary acrobatic skills required to care for six infants at the same time (with one co-worker),  I feel I am blessed every day to have the opportunity to nurture, educate and care for these bundles of wonder. Yes, I said educate.

The screaming crying does not bother me.

Do you know what agitates me?

Threading a needle, figuring out the “features” on my car stereo, untangling Christmas lights or…

Trying to text more than two words on my cell phone without back spacing.

 

Drafting Poetry

This gallery contains 6 photos.

Melanie at http://wordifull.com/ inspired me to try out some poetry formats so I gave it a whirl. This one is called a “cinquain”. Quoting from her blog, a cinquain  is:  “A five line poem with no rhyme scheme or meter; each line has a set number of words and a specific function.  No words can be repeated.    […]

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years….#9

#9.  “Happiness and contentment in your life only happens because you are happy and content with yourself.”

Throughout my twenties and thirties, I had a vision of what would make me happy. It was a perfect world and time.   It was just outside the box of reality I lived in, but completely achievable….or so I thought. It was more than just career goals or personal milestones. It was this imaginary idea of what my life should be like. I constantly pined for it . I was always waiting for it.  I like to think that I had some kind of epiphany about this but maybe it was just a few hard knocks that forced me to finally free myself of these ridiculous and unnecessary expectations.

As I approached 4O,  I found myself again…under the rubble of wishes and good intenti0ns. Wow, I was M.I.A. and didn’t even know it!

Why is it that different things make different people happy? Maybe it’s because it is our own particular state of mind that reacts. Happy things make happy people happy. They don’t work as well with unhappy people. People in my life have suffered similar challenges and losses. Although they all found themselves drowning in  despair and self pity, some have not come back up for air. They are still swimming around in the aftermath, hanging on to what happened to them, their only strength is their pain. It’s really easy to be unhappy. It requires no work on our part. Acceptance requires action but believe me, it is worth it in the end. Our own contentment welcomes the laughter, the warmth, and the beautiful stillness.

California breathin’

Feeling inspired to write a poem today…….

SEARCH FOR SERENITY

Taking, needing, wanting

All the while believing it is the goal

To find, to get, to hold

A dream deserved

Only to realize

The illusion of plans

And the truth of fate.

Giving, accepting, feeling

As each moment ignites only briefly

Feeding the soul for only now

Is there anything

Not conjured up

Or wished upon

Only within is there light

To find, to get, to hold.

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years….#5

#5. “Everyone you meet in your life will teach you something…..if you’re willing to learn.”

If you think about how much you have learned over your life time so far, it is probably at the very least, mind blowing.  By asking simple questions of those you meet, you can multiply this amount of information over and over.

There came a time in my life (probably around 40,  since I have evolved slowly), when I realized that every unique being on this earth has something to offer me.  I have always found human behaviour to be quite fascinating but within this hobby of observation, it is easy to analyze and judge.  When I tried to curb this a bit, I began to see more, learn more and feel more.

Besides the obvious factual information so easily obtained, there is always a story, an undertone that whispers  softly , if  you listen….I mean, REALLY listen and imagine where it is coming from.

Do you think you can learn something from the homeless man begging for change on the street?

Absolutely!  He has a story. You can learn from his pain, his misfortune and the small acts of kindness that give him joy. You can learn from your own fear of him, as he approaches you.  Ask yourself why it is so hard to look at his face, even when you hand him your spare coins.  Is he not worthy of eye contact or is his lesson to you lying dormant within yourself? Everyone has a story. Your story may not be any more interesting.  It is just different. Your story is not worn on your sleeve every day, like his.

There are no limits to what you can learn, only doors for you to open or leave shut.

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years……#4.

#4. If you’re not thinking outside of the box, you’re living in a very small place.

As a child, the world seemed so big and never ending. My dreams were more like goals. Anything seemed possible. I didn’t hope to achieve them. It was only a matter of how and when. I  had nothing to compare them to, no similar situations to remind me of what could go wrong.  There were so many options, so much to see and do, so many places to go.

I listened.

I observed.

I believed in many things.

Then something happened.  It’s interesting that as I grew older, my mind began to filter out ideas that didn’t seem as logical or achievable….as least not to me, anymore.  Reality shoved it’s way into my tranquil, sunshiney space, ready to rain downpour on my parade, with  a few too many “in your face” experiences of loss, disappointments and heartache.  I was angry, resentful and mostly, just sad.

Later on, I think reality had overstayed it’s welcome. I was tired of what I had to do, what I had to face, how I had to live my life.  It wasn’t until I was 40, that I found my youth again. The doors flung open and I emerged like a giant clumsy child.

I’m baaa…aaack!!!!

Who says I can’t have fun? Who says I have to do things a certain way?  Who says I have to get old?  Who says people are everything they seem. They are not. I was ready to explore again, but this time a little bit of knowledge came along with me.  That can be useful.   I was ready to let go of everything holding me back and  move forward  “into the great wide open” as Tom Petty puts it.  The biggest surprise to me was how happy it made me.

The more open I became……

the more I listened,

the more I observed,

the more I believed.

How familiar that feeling was!

We were born with open minds. It is not our experiences that close our minds. It is our reactions to our experiences that close our minds. There is no right way of doing things. There are just many ways of doing things. That’s what makes people interesting. That’s what makes LIFE interesting.

Take a look at the Grand Canyon. You cannot see it’s boundaries…..the never ending space that beckons you to think past what is in front of you.

Think past what you know or where you have been.

Stay open. It’s fun.

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years….#3

#3. When tobogganing down a steep ravine, a wine skin filled with cherry whiskey, will soften the blow of every tree you hit.

Looking back at it now, I can’t believe we really owned one of these.  The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language describes it as “a bag made from the skin of a goat for example, and used for holding and dispensing wine”.

I am fairly certain that I was unaware of the goat skin as I sipped chugged my cherry whiskey, hoping my socks would stay dry. We were trudging through a foot of good packing snow with our plastic Magic Carpets, waxed up wooden toboggans and super flying saucers. Woooo Hoooo!!!

Life was good……in the 70’s.

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years….#2

#2. You can procrastinate about not procrastinating.

Even the word “procrastinate” sounds like something to avoid.  It has such an unusual and harsh tone to it.

Why do we do it? There must be a reason why we don’t get around to doing what we planned to do. My excuses are many.

There isn’t enough time in a day.

Shall I clean the oven in my sleep?

I’m tired.

I am not doing that until this gets done.

I’ll call her tomorrow.

I need to be in the right mood to do that.

It would take me ALL day and I don’t have all day.

I was at work. Does that not count as exercise?

It’s just a little piece bar of chocolate.

If I can’t do it right, I’m not doing it at all.

I know I’ll do it, but not now ever.

I’m tired……again.

There’s  a  tiny little sliver in my right big toe . (Ok, I made that one up)

My excuses are rather lame. My intentions on the other hand , are outstanding!  My mood is very perky when I make the conscientious decision of  drawing up “the list”. With my favourite pen in hand, I look for the perfect piece of “Things to Do” paper . Then, using my best handwriting, I proceed to make the most elaborate list of projects ever! It’s an amazing feat of futility.  It doesn’t stop me, however, from feeling incredibly proud of myself as I cross the first  easiest task off the list. Bravo!! A few more strokes of the pen and I’ll be on my way.

Then something changes. I think it has a lot to do with that “P” word.  Somehow “the list” finds a cozy little space where I can easily forget it ever existed.  I  plan to make a new list…..

after another little piece of chocolate.

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years…#1

A little over  a year ago,  I  found myself undeniably approaching  the big five oh (no!).  I was determined to make it significant, at least to me, so I decided to share  some things I’ve learned over the years…… the good times, the bad times, the crazy times and all those enlightening moments in between.

Some lessons take a moment, others a life time.  Maybe you can relate to a few.

Hope you find a moment to join me on a regular basis as I reflect on this roller coaster ride we call “LIFE”, starting with…..

#1.  If you’re holding a grudge, you’re letting someone continue to hurt you.

Think about it.

Someone causes you pain.  They ruin your day….or maybe your life?

Wait a minute! Are you going to let them ruin your life? Do they deserve that?  Do YOU deserve that?

Carrying a grudge is heavy work  but only you can lighten the load.

Are you waiting for an apology or someone to have a life changing enlightenment?  You could be waiting a long time.

You may be the only one capable of moving forward.   Harboring the anger, resentment and pain is your choice.

Simple as that.

      Stay tuned for #2 !