Maybe a song in progress

 It feels like a song rather than a poem. Needs a lot more work to transition from written to sung.

Wants to turn this house into a home

Doesn't matter that she lives alone

She’s gonna change it from cold to warm.

Put some photos on the counter

Framed prints hanging on the wall

Family rugs on the cold floor

Living in a city that would rather be a town

Too many outsiders running it down

Locals are always complaining

Just like every place she’s ever been.

It’s one more stop along the way

She knows she’s not going to stay

Planning to enjoy it while she can.

Came here for reasons hard to explain

Nothing bad, not to outrun pain

Just looking for something new, again.

Living in a city that would rather be a town

Too many outsiders running it down

Locals are always complaining

Just like every place she’s ever been.

Too many run down buildings and roads, 

too much judgement, too much crime,

Too much or too little doesn’t matter to her

It’s a temporary stop, it’s short term.

She’s got her memories, got her things,

A list of places she needs to see,

A growing list of where she’s been.

Living in a house that’s becoming a home

Living in a city that wants to be a town

An outsider everywhere she goes,

Just like every place she’s ever been.

Looking for open skies and stars

Looking for coffee shops, not bars

Looking for occasional company

Looking for happiness and peace.

Picture of my mother

Another poem about my mom. I think her presence in my life is more grounding now than when I was younger.

My brother sent a picture to my other brothers and I

from his visit to see Mom.

It looks just like the picture I took several months ago.

A gravestone, grass, and hints of a clear day.

I wonder what they talked about.

I can’t believe their conversation was anything like

the conversation I had with her.

Maybe the part about missing her.

But other than that,

Not much in common.

Son, Daughter,

Different touch points,

Different interests,

Different perspectives on

family, religion, life in general,

Life as promised,

Life as lived.

Same gravestone,

Same setting.

Different plot points,

And different resolutions.

We all miss her.

Pictures help.

Sometimes I hear her voice in my head,

So real, like she is physically near me

It reminds me

who she was,

And explains the core of who I am.

Thursday Musing

 Odd Thursday off, but not a four day weekend. Good opportunity to visit the coffee shop and see what happens.

We’ll see what happens. 

Should I write in verse

Should I write in prose

Should I write truth

Should I write dreams

Should I write my life story

Should I write the stories I see?

So many questions when I sit down

To let the thoughts out of my head.

Decluttering is the new thing

Declutter your space

Declutter your life

Declutter your brain.

Keep what gives you joy

Get rid of what doesn’t.

Limit yourself to what is necessary

Limit yourself

Set limits.

And live with them.

No.

I don’t like limits.

Limits are barriers

To potential

To growth

To happiness.

No limits.

More joy.

Cold fall night

 Night

A book and chair

A bed and blanket,

Inside.

Black sky,

Brightened by stars,

Outside.

Restful and restless,

On a cold fall night,

Following a day of rain,

The clouds have moved on,

Tomorrow the sun should be back. 

For now, it’s raining again,

Even though stars can be seen.

How is that possible?

A light rhythm plays on the roof.

Time to sleep.

Rain and Solitude

 Rain and solitude

Drive through town and turn down the dirt road

Watch out for ruts after rain

The driveway is gravel

And the cabin door is unlocked.

There’s a key but most people don’t use it.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

After a rainy day in the car

The cabin is a welcome sight

But cold.

The rain let’s up

And starts again after dinner

No chance of seeing stars tonight.

The heater warms part of the room

Pillows block the cold air that seems to stream through the closed window.

Mini refrigerator, microwave, bathroom

Enough modern conveniences

To not be roughing it.

Trail maps on the table

Stains on the carpet

A brown towel with a note,

“Towel for wet muddy shoes!”

Time to plan tomorrow’s adventure,

And move on from the adventure of getting here.

There are always new adventures 

Replacing the old ones.

Deep Thoughts at the Coffee Shop

Deep Thoughts at the Coffee Shop haha

Why do flies exist? 

What useful purpose do they serve? 

And mosquitoes, what about them?

It seems like their role in nature is to annoy mammals

and infect them with germs,

Does that mean they’re predators?

Work in Progress 9.26.2021

 Work in progress. It feels good to sit in a coffee shop (except for the people hovering close to my table while they wait for their food).

Where did September go?

It was summer when I went to bed

I woke up to fall.

The calendar reminds me 

It’s the anniversary of my birth,

Add another year to the count.

Feels kind of like the day before.

Except for the cards,

And personal birthday goals,

Just another day in the paradise 

I call my life.

Living my dreams

Following can I’s with I cans

Climb slow and steady, enjoying the burn.

Feel the rush of going down,

Marvel at how high I can go.

Savorr the flats,

Soak in the scenery, 

the abundance of life around me,

Light shifting the shadows..

Stretching, recovering, replenishing, repositioning.

Marking the miles,

Making memories

to count later.

When memories are all I can handle.

Pre-Rosh Hashana reflections 2021

Pre-High Holy Days 2021 reflections 

Reflect, transform,

Happy new year.

 

I Have Been 

I have been weak 

I have been strong

I have given up

I have persevered

I have been aggressive

I have been passive

I have been.

I am

Human.

I have been happy

I have been sad

I have been busy

I have been bored

I have been loving

I have been unkind

I have been cynical

I have been trusting.

I am

Human.

I am

Resilient.

My have beens

are part

of the person

I am.

I have been.

I am.

When My Child Hurts - song

I took the poem and rewrote it as a song.

 

 

When my child hurts - poem

I don't think I'm finished with this one yet, but I'm posting it because I'm not sure when I will have the strength to go back to it.

When my child hurts,

My heart breaks,

as I try to figure out what I can say,

that will feel like the hug

I want to give.

Knowing that nothing said over the phone,

Will feel as comforting as my arms,

holding her tight,

as she drenches my shirt with her tears.

When my child is drowning in misery,

in my arms or a thousand miles away,

I feel helpless.

As I listen to her words and sobs,

I hold my breath to stay calm,

To hold in my thoughts of rage and revenge 

against whoever caused the pain.

I hang on

Until she emerges,

From the moment,

Wet and shaken,

And somehow stronger,

Even though she might not realize it yet.

When my child hurts,

she often recovers faster than I do,

And her life goes on.

And maybe, just maybe,

something I said or did

made a difference.

Whether it did or not,

isn’t the point.

 

Apple Haiku

I was so looking forward to my apple last night.

Crunchy red apple,

Looked so good and had no taste.

Juicy, what a shame.

 

Writer’s Lament

[needs editing, I think]

Writer’s Lament

Damn!

I had a couple of thoughts

and didn’t write them down.

Now they’re gone.

Hopefully they will come back

and I will take the time

to see where they take me.

Technology and Life

I'm not sure if this one is done but I did a lot of editing, more than usual before posting, so here goes.

Technology and Life

Technology isn’t life.

But it can help you live.

When you feel alone,

it can help you interact with people

without leaving your home.

It can help you find people

with common interests,

from around the world.

It provides a safe space

to create friendships,

so natural,

that it appears to outsiders

that you’ve been friends forever.

Technology doesn’t make friends

Technology doesn’t create relationships

It doesn’t talk, sing, laugh, weep.

It doesn’t hug, hold, comfort, celebrate, commiserate. 

Technology isn’t companionship.

Technology provides a place,

You can live in,

When being in person

is difficult

A place where you can choose

When to interact

How much you want to interact

A place where you can observe

Without being seen

Listen without having to speak

A place you can come and go as you please

Without leaving your home.

Technology isn’t life

But just like in life,

You might get lucky

And make a friend,

just like in kindergarten.

Because they were there when you looked,

and it turned out

to be 

one of the best things

that ever happened to you.