More travel and a poem from my father

2008 has been a strange year filled with many unexpected ups and downs. While I find the year's end much sweeter than its beginning, I still wouldn't alter the course of the past 12 months for any reason -- too much was learned and gained. I will share more about my thoughts on the subject in the beginning of 2009. Until then, let me share a few more musings from the end days of 2008.

As many of you know, my grandfather died last month, causing great reflection in my family. My father, for example, turned to poetry to remember my grandfather, and I'd like to share his effort here. Thanks, Dad.

The flag covered casket was in the hearse.
The cars of family and friends were waiting in the parking lot with lights on.
Two police motorcycles roared their engines and the single police car idled its own engine.
This was for me. What an honor!
How many times I led funeral processions without thinking of my own.

What you did not see there was a third police motorcycle --
The rider was "Eddie Mac".
I led the funeral procession.
I stopped the traffic.
I made the route safe.
I got the job done.

Wow, how I missed the feel of the big powerful engine under my body --
The wind in my face, rain spitting down on me, the chill in the air --
it was the type of day that made it all worth the honor.

I know this route as I drove it many times before.
How I missed it; this is what I longed for.
God grant me one final ride.
Let me be king of the road just one more time.

You answered my prayers and I led my funeral procession to my final resting place.
As I got off my Police Harley Davidson motorcycle,
suddenly I was 17 and a Navy sailor in uniform.
I saluted the Military Honor Guard and they saluted me back for a job well done.
I stood at attention, proud to have served.
So much I have seen, but not all the stories were told.

The rifle volley reminded me of the battles and comrades that fell in harm's way;
I see them again;
they have waited for me as those before them.

As taps played, I saluted and then the voice came:
"Petty Officer First Class Edward J. McGannon,
you are now relieved of duties.
WELCOME HOME, Sailor."

***

So, in the closing days of 2008, I find myself headed back out on another adventure -- this time to a small Pacific Ocean isle where I hope to surf and sun and meditate and just be . 'Tis rather exciting. My grandfather once spent time there, so it'll be nice to spend time there, too. I mention this because I likely will not post anything on my site until 2009!

Until then, enjoy the holiday season and best wishes for the New Year.

Goodbye, Yesterday. Hello, Today and Tomorrow!

Today was a momentous day because I let go of much that I was holding onto that no longer serves me. Much of it was sparked by a feeling I had when I woke up this morning -- an agitation that I was wasting energy on things which no longer feed me and that it was finally time to do something about it. So, I decided to live up to my birth name ("Kelly" means "Warrior" in Gaelic) and be a warrior of the light, recognizing the need for action and having the courage to let go and leap forward into the unknown.

It's a mood I've been in for the last month or so and it involves throwing away, giving away, shredding, purging and releasing old material in order to make room for all which is new. I'm giving away old clothes, throwing away "stuff" which just takes up room, letting go of old friends who have moved on, etc... Essentially, I'm cleansing my space and ridding myself of anything that doesn't resonate with who I am today. And, it's entirely freeing. In fact, I find myself searching around my space to see what else I can release.

This afternoon, I spent several hours with a dear friend chatting about my unfinished Ph.D. and I heard myself say to him, "You know...I really don't want to finish it. The topic doesn't feed me and I'm really not interested in pursuing it any further. I don't want to finish this related article either. In fact, I feel pulled towards other ventures which more deeply resonate with me and bring me greater joy. This only drains me and I feel tense even thinking about it." I paused to sip my coffee and was startled when he burst out laughing, telling me he's waited YEARS for me to say this and that he hoped I would finally let it all go and move on with my life.

He's right. I always know the right course of action but sometimes I put it on the back burner until it feels right (or I feel comfortable enough with the consequences) to do something about it. And when that happens, watch out, world, because I move with lightning speed. Today I came home and PITCHED all my old Ph.D. material, saving only a few things which are of personal interest to me.

I know that this action was right because I feel so light when I think about it. I feel good. In honoring my inner feelings about the unfinished Ph.D., I am better positioned to honor truths in other areas of my life. And I cannot wait to see what comes my way from adopting more of a downstream approach to life. My hunch is that I'll be exactly where I need to be, surrounded by people I'll need to know in order to do all that which will come next.

How incredibly exciting!

Visions of Sugar Plum Faeries

"oh, i'm so excited," she squealed like a little girl,
and danced about the living room
like a little faerie sprite.
"we're going to the nutcracker, baby!
the nutcracker!"

and he laughed deeply as
he watched her dance
out her excitement of
the coming evening's events.

"i'm gonna sit there in my little seat," she continued,
"and gasp with delight when the lights dim
and say "oooo" and "awww" with
all the other people in the audience.

"oh, and baby, you should know that there's a great
possibility that i'll become four-years-old tonight
but i promise to grow up again
before we leave...
just enough to keep things legal,"
she finished with a flirtatious wink.

and they giggled together
as she continued pirouetting around the room,
eyes heavy with sugar plum dreams.

The Deep South

There is something to be said for spending time in the Deep South!

I just returned from a trip there and, inclement weather aside (read: tornado warnings/watches, tropical storm level winds, thunder that made the windows of my room shake and torrential rain which seemed to know no end), I found myself enjoying the dark brown earth, reminiscent of Peru, and the area's big sky with its equally dramatic cloud formations.

The area where I was (the south-west corner of Georgia) began to pull at me in an interesting way -- I felt embraced in genuine warmth, almost like I had fallen into my grandmother's arms for a big hug. I found myself thinking, "Oh, so THIS is Southern hospitality!" And, it was every ounce as wonderful as I had imagined.

Of course, while there is this very warm side to the South, I couldn't help but remember its other history while driving past numerous cotton and pecan tree plantations. I know that as a visitor, I cannot pretend to speak about these neighborhoods intimately; however, even as an outsider, I wasn't blind to the scars which linger there.

The Deep South, then, was utterly fascinating. My curiosity to know more about the people, their stories and the land grew exponentially during my time there, and I look forward to the opportunity to return to satiate it.

"I Am...Batman"

he finally surfaced and rang her up,
"hey, sorry about that disappearing act,"
he said quietly, looking for exoneration.

she giggled.

"it's okay," she replied.
"i knew you went to the cave
but would emerge eventually.
i just didn't know if you were sitting in the dark,
had learned to make fire,
or were decorating its walls
with drawings and paintings."

they shared a laugh over it
and she hoped he realized that
it was okay to come and go as he needed.

she just needed to know
if she should send alfred in after him
or if she should dust off the bat signal
and color the night sky with it instead.

Peru! Machu Picchu! Incas! Oh, My!

Me at Machu Picchu, Peru, November 2008

November was truly an extraordinary month. I spent the first week in Alaska soaking up its natural beauty and weeks 3 and 4 in Peru. Sadly, as I mentioned in earlier posts, my grandfather died on November 17, and I went home to Ohio to spend a few days with my family, watching the snow fall and reminiscing about my grandfather with my parents.

I've been lucky. I'm 31 years old, and it's only been in the past 14 months that I've lost part of my family -- both my dad's parents. My mom's father died when I was 2.5 years old, but I don't remember his passing and my mom's mom is still going strong. So, other than a turbulent time in high school when several people in my class died from either cancer or suicide, I've been largely free from serious grief. But my grandfather's passing really hit my heart in ways I didn't expect or foresee. I feel myself craving family these days and want to hold those I care about even more tightly in my heart. I also find myself wanting to add to the world in extraordinary ways and to leave a positive mark behind. Maybe in the form of a family of my own one day.

Hm. I think this is one of the positive aspects of death and grieving. You see your life more clearly and that which you want crystallizes with clarity rather swiftly.

Machu Picchu Views, November 2008.

So, Peru! What a dream come true! Those who have known me for some time have known that Peru & Machu Picchu have been life long dreams for me, and, voila, the opportunity to go magically presented itself to me right around the 1st of November. I couldn't believe it. Still can't! While I was there, I toured Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and several other Inca sites and small Peruvian villages. I ate and drank all kinds of interesting things (guinea pig -- a local delicacy -- cantaloupe melon juice and pisco sours). Oh, and the fruit alone! I don't think I got enough of its delicious ripe fruit spreads at breakfast -- globe grapes, mangoes, papaya, strawberries, figs, passion fruit, etc... I began ordering globe grapes for dessert at every meal and would linger at the table, enjoying their plump sweetness while I watched those around me. I definitely drank in the scenery, loving the rural areas better than Lima, and feeling inspired to craft a few poems along the way.

Stunning sky on the way to Chichero, November 2008.

The Peruvian people were among the most hospitable people I've encountered in the world so far. The kindnesses I was shown rival those I witnessed in Jordan back in 2000. The Peruvians strike me as being gifted artists (incredible textiles, ceramics, jewelry and other crafts) and intrepid explorers who revere family and religion above all else. Shaman are still respected and the Catholic Church continues to have a large presence in its cities and villages. Numerous Catholic churches have groups of men and women who adopt chapels and decorate/adorn them weekly with fresh flowers, candles and other offerings, which made touring these churches all the more impressionable.

The road from Ollantaytambo to Chichero, Peru, November 2008.

Peru's physical landscape is stunning. When I arrived in Lima, which sits on the Pacific coast, I drove along breathtaking cliffs adorned with hanging gardens and beautiful parks through which people exercised or strolled. There are three zones in Peru: coastal, mountain (the Andes), and jungle. Machu Picchu sits at the beginning of the jungle and is situated in the Amazon basin, which makes it very lush and verdant. Apparently, when Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911, it took him 4 years to clear away the jungle which protected it for hundreds of years!

Inca remains at Ollantaytambo, Peru, November 2008.

Circus

as she descended into peru,
she was greeted by a lively confectioner
who was handing out gauzy clouds
of pink cotton candy that
shimmered magically in the morning sunlight.

giggling, she sat at the
edge of her seat,
anxiously awaiting the first act.

the curtain hesitated, then parted slowly
to reveal little islands of earth
peeking through vaporous air
and acting as mysterious as magicians on stage.

and as the land of shaman and a revered people
drew nearer, she couldn't help but
draw her breath and wonder
what was in store for her during her
much anticipated stay.

Peruvians, the Sacred Valley, November 2008.

I found myself entirely fascinated and captivated by the local Peruvian women. Here they were, working hard in the fields and carrying heavy loads on their backs to and from, largely doing the tasks of men but somehow finding ways to retain their femininity in the process. I loved their dress -- large brimmed hats, hoop skirts that came to their knees, thick stockings which ended before their ankles, sandals, sweaters and/or shawls they made themselves. All bright with color and adorned with flowers. Even their animals sported decoration. I saw some llamas and alpaca with flowers or ribbons tied to their ears and I like to imagine they enjoyed flouting themselves because of it.

Chinchero, Peru, November 2008.

It's not uncommon in Peruvian villages to see mud brick homes. It costs s./5000 to build a mud brick house in Peru and another s./5000 to cover its roof in ceramic tiles. Currently, the exchange rate is 3 nuevos soles for 1 US dollar. So, one could literally buy a mud brick home in Peru for approximately $3,333. In the rural areas these homes are ubiquitous and can often be found with surviving Inca ruins as foundations, as seen in the above picture. I watched people build the bricks and leave them to dry in the sun for several days -- future building blocks for someone's home and hearth.

Inca wall, Sacsayhuaman, Peru, November 2008.

One of the most fascinating things I saw in Peru was the remains of the great Inca wall at Sacsayhuaman. What made it so intriguing is that the Incas embedded local iconography within its masonry. Look at the above picture. Can you find the puma paw?

I think that if the Incas existed today they would be characterized as diplomatic Greenpeace volunteers with a bent for vegetarianism. Not only were they able to bring together different tribes and utilize the best of those indigenous cultures, BUT they also believed the universe could be broken down into three aspects, each ruled by an creature of the planet. The condor ruled the heavenly realm, the puma tended the earthly realm, and the snake looked after the underworld. It was not uncommon to find elements of all these animals at the Incas' sacred sites, like Machu Picchu where there is a sacrificial table (for llamas NOT people) in the shape of a condor.

The Incas revered the heavens and had a great interest in astronomy and the observation of other natural phenomena. Even the names of towns and villages bear their passion for the natural world. For example, the pretty little village of Chinchero was believed to be the birth of the rainbow!

Oh, there is so much more to say about my trip for Peru, but I think I'll stop here for now and add more in the future.

Musings and Poems and Travels and Tears

When the month of November began, I had no idea that (happily) I would be offered a trip to Peru and that (sadly) my grandfather would die just a few days before my departure. I flew home that night to be with dad and stayed with him for a few days until I had to leave for Peru on business. It was so good to see him again and we stayed up late reminiscing about my grandfather, in particular, and about life, in general.

I had not been home since early May and it was so good to bury myself into my parents' arms and feel loved and supported. I'm lucky because it's always been this way with them. They've always been there for me, without question or hesitation. You see, I haven't been home to see my family since early May and that was under difficult circumstances, too, as we grieved together and tried to understand a deep loss which touched all of our heart spaces.

One of the things my grandfather's passing has taught me has been the lesson of grief. It has a funny way of entering one's heart space and, like a fussy relative, can show all that which still needs tidying. So, as I work on honoring the loss of my grandfather, I also honor the losses which preceeded him, taking the good, discarding the bad, and working to forgive everything else.

On a different and happier note, I spent about a week or so in Peru, working in Lima and traveling for pleasure through Cuzco, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and several other small villages. It was a trip to remember! The Peruvian people are so hospitable and warm that it was hard to think about leaving both them and Peru's beautiful landscape.

With so much to share, I think I'll spend the rest of this post sharing some poems I wrote about my grandfather's passing, saving pictures and thoughts on Peru for later in the week. Enjoy.

Tidal "Eddie"

she sat and looked out onto the pacific ocean,
observing its familiar rhythm of
swell and retreat
and
hello and goodbye
and
arrival and departure.

and from deep within came tears
which merged with the tidal
dance that had carried away
her grandfather.

her lungs became the shore
upon realizing the ocean's absence,
gasping hard for air and
gaining just enough before
fresh waves came to feed her grief.

***

Generational Movement

on the day her grandfather died,
she felt the earth quake beneath her feet
and she fell to her knees in confusion.

a generational plate had submerged
itself underground and she felt the shift
as a new generation moved to take its place.

she was thrust into a new plane of life --
without choice or consent,

and she picked herself up off the ground
determined to embrace
life without a generation
but knowing intuitively she would add one of her own.

***

Achy-Breaky Heart

she had ached to be alone
to privately relieve her sadness
but now, in that desired space,
she wished for the comfort of strong arms
and soothing words and joined silence.

the enigma of opposition.

and so it was that her emotions
tossed her back and forth
between the two extremes of her heart space,

searching for equilibrium after
the heartquake which was
her grandfather's passing.

Haitus

Due to my grandfather's passing and work overseas, I'm taking a small haitus from blogging but will return to the site on the 29th of November with fresh stories and poems and thoughts and pictures.

To all you out there who visit this page, know that I'm wishing you a happy holiday and time spent with loved ones.

Life is so fragile. Love more and worry less.

See you soon.

Blessings...Kel

Tides of Grief

taking in the news of his passing,
she sat at her kitchen table
and shared cups of salty water with Grief.

the cups formed dark pools
of sadness on her jeans
and transformed her eyes into tidy waterfalls
which seemed endless.

breathing in syncopated rhythm,
she pushed her hands deep into her eyes,
praying that this small action
would keep her afloat and
carry her safely through the turbulence

to her kin.

Orphan

"i'm an orphan now,"
he told her,
trying hard to stem the flood behind his eyes.

"i know, dad," she said softly.
"i'm so sorry."
and she squeezed his hand,
as he drove her towards her childhood home.

later, as the snow fell,
she listened to him share stories of his father,
some familiar and some new,
and paired them with her own memories of her grandfather.

the sadness was so overwhelming
that she leaned into her father
and wished she didn't live so far away.

Death Of Her Family's Patriarch

and so it was that as
another season passed into the earth,
so should her grandfather.

receiving the news,
she looked out onto the somber landscape,
brittle leaves strewn about the ground
and weathered into ash.

it reminded her of the fragility of life

so she clung more fiercely to the living
and her salty tears
sought to preserve the memories
of what was

and
of the man
she had known her whole life.

A Living, Breathing Aficionado

on most saturdays they found themselves

holed up in the rear of the local wine store with "uncle kirby",

sipping wine and listening to his stories of the grapes
and of their secret bottled messages.

she relished this time

because she had rarely met someone

who lived with such passion about his trade -
the obvious enthusiasm bubbling out of his speech
and tickling her ears.

"oh, you're gonna love this one," he enthused.

"it's full of bright plummy jam,

cherries that will knock your socks off, bro,

and a mineral finish that will have you on your knees,

begging for more."

in fact, he was so lively and bright

that she started carrying home

some of his kirbyisms

working up ways to use them in sentences
and musing at his reminder that it was possible
to lock into one's soul career.

Snap, Crackle and Pop!

as she stepped on the pile of dry leaves,

she sighed with delight

as they

snapped

and

crunched

beneath her sneakered feet.

fall always made her so happy

because it was a feast for her senses,

jolting her through a labyrinth

of happy childhood memories

spent in piles of leaves and dancing with the zephyr.

she paused to breathe in the crisp air

tinged with the sweet smell of decay,

marveling that the death of another season

could smell so good.

Career Aspirations

when she was little

she used to arrange all her stuffed animals

around her in order to read stories to them.

sometimes her parents would peek in on her

and join the crowd,

careful to hide their amused grins

when she'd make up voices for her characters.

the result was so much fun

that she now that she's older,

she'd like to take her show on down the road

and become the new story lady

at the local public library,

reading stories

and weaving magic

to an audience that could giggle

and dream with her.

Alaska In Pictures

alaska was so breathtaking that the state's beauty could speak for itself. enjoy!!!

Seeing the "I" with Open Eyes

she felt lost in the city,
wondering, perhaps, if she had lost it all.

so, she went deep into nature,
deep into its most remote parts,
and enjoyed herself there.

the silence healed her --
and when she saw that her previous belief
about loss was just an illusion,
she burst into giggles.

because in that moment she realized
that losing everything wasn't so bad
because it meant that you also got to lose
silly things like the ego and all its illusions.

which was really quite a good thing, she thought,
because she was finally able to sit down to tea and crumpets
with her observer self without that annoying
little "me" getting in the way.

Astral Game Of Fetch

she looked up into the clear night sky
and was pleased to see sirius,
happily wagging back at her.

he had a large comet in his mouth,
twinkly star dust oozing from it,
and dropped it expectedly at her feet.

"oh, i see," she said.
"you want to play fetch, huh?
okay, boy!"

and she threw the comet as far as she could,
praying she'd at least make it out of the solar system.

he bolted wildly after the comet
and she was reminded of just how much
she loved playing fetch with him.

the only problem, though, is that it
took him light years to retrieve,
which wasn't a bad thing
given how much energy he had.

Puss In Boots

"oh, and this is marie," he said proudly
as a very pretty white and grey cat
leaped onto the couch and settled between them.

"she's very proper, isn't she?" she observed
while stroking the cat's soft fur,
delighting in the warmth and
easy love of this small animal.

"she is," he replied proudly.
"definitely a little princess, huh?"

and as marie stood before them,
she couldn't help but notice her little dainty paws
and they way the cat positioned them in front of her,
almost begging notice.

"i think i shall call her
'marie of the pretty white paws'
because of the subtle way
she shows them off like
new designer boots," she said.

and they laughed together,
reveling in a new understanding
of the meaning "the cat's meow."

Splash Down!

she perched herself near the cliff's edge
and watched fall's little persimmon
and ocher colored parachutes
drift gracefully towards the river below.

keen to join the slowly moving flotilla,
they raced to add their own splashes of paint
to the natural rafts already on parade.

oh, how they drifted and twisted in the current,
sailing over silent cemeteries
full of fallen comrades and
blanketed by dark waters.

decay in various stages, she thought
and decided that few things could rival
death's particular beauty
than fall's last hurrah.

Global Stewardship

I just finished watching "The Story of Stuff" with Annie Leonard and wanted to share its important message with all of you. Her message is this: folk in the US consume way too much stuff which only taxes our valuable natural resources and results in all kinds of personal unhappiness because we cannot seem to satiate our need for more and more stuff.

Thanks to society and its clever advertising machine, we're led to believe we need new stuff when our old stuff is still useful. For example, I could keep my old (fill in the blank) but the new version looks so much more (fill in favorite adjective) and I'll likely be able to (fill in favorite verb) by having it which will lead to (fill in fantasy), etc... Ad infinitum. Ad nauseam. It's actually a little crazy when you pause to consider it all.

The recent Pixar movie "Wall-E" tackled the issue of overconsumption and its consequences rather brilliantly, methinks, and "The Story of Stuff" continues on in the same vein but does a better job breaking down the how and why. Sometimes acquaintences tease me about driving around an 11-year-old car (almost unheard of out here in the affluent DC area), but I'm proud of the fact that it's still ticking AND has over 170,000 miles on it. I mean, I guess I could buy a new car right now but why when Bobby J (yep, I've named my car) is still running perfectly well? I just can't justify it.

Spending time up in the "last frontier" and out of the bubble of DC, I was reminded that the economy is hitting folk hard...not something I see where I live. Several of the commercials I've seen in Alaska are addressing this worry and my hunch tells me that this is the case elsewhere in America, too. Recently, I saw the latest Kraft Singles commercial which advertises the economy of Kraft Singles and the value of a wholesome grilled cheese sandwich ("Need a nutritious meal for your children but having trouble making ends meet? Don't forget Kraft Singles during your next grocery run because grilled cheese sandwiches go a long way on a small budget!").

While it makes me sad that so many are struggling under the recession and the plummeting economy, it does seem that a silver lining may be peeking through all the turmoil. I'm seeing more and more people spending time at home with their families, choosing cheaper homemade meals and card games to evenings out. I see people teaching their kids that sometimes you can't always get what you want when you want it (a nice change from the Veruca Salt phenomenon we've seen this past decade). And while really tough right now, perhaps it will show us (the US) that you really can survive on very little and actually be happy about it.

Alaska is FUNNY!!!

I used to think that So. Dakota was America's funniest state. I mean, it has signs advertising a drugstore for hundreds of miles; Highway 90 has a sculpture of a man walking a T-Rex on a leash; and the town of Mitchell features an entire palace covered in corn cobs.

Sigh. I hate to do it but move over So. Dak, Alaska is funnier.

Aside from signs warning against trespassing ("Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again."), one of my favorite discoveries in Alaska is the comic strip "Tundra". It's witty, clever and down right funny. I mean, I cannot stop giggling when reading this comic strip!

Read on for a few giggles and to see what I mean:


And this...


Now...if only it could find its way into the papers in DC!

Alaska's Non-Traditional Soldiers

Landscape off Alaska's Highway 3, heading north towards Fairbanks, November 2008.

she paused during her afternoon
to watch the ice float
and glide south on the river
below her.

where white had welcomed her,
infinite shades of gray now
took their turn on parade,
presenting small icebergs
intent on travel.

listening closely, the ice
tinkled and cracked as it moved along,
a lovely opening act for the river's own voice.

it found her
as she sat on the bank
and listened to the river's lessons,
learning more in 15 minutes
than she had in quite some time.

"Hello From Alaska...Are You There?"

"hey, i miss you,"
one of her dearest friends wrote her.
"i miss you, too," she replied.

"well, at least we have orion
to keep us connected, right?" he said.
"i mean, he's like two cans on a string
but better because when i look
up and see him, i know
you're doing the same thing
wherever you are."

"yep," she giggled.

"better still," he continued,
"he's totally free,
he never drops calls
and the only interference
we'd ever get are clouds and they're okay.

"i mean, move over verizon
'cuz the celestial wide web is
in the house!" he finished,
obviously tickled with himself.

and she laughed because she just
see him cracking himself up
over his latest clever little comment

which is why she couldn't resist saying
"better make that in the sky"
just to keep him grounded on earth.

The Interior

driving into the heart
of alaska's interior,
she was struck by
the quiet roads and quiet skies,
seeing more wildlife than fellow travelers.

and, as she looked out
into the expansive terrain,
dotted with pine trees and jagged mountains,
she had to wonder if this
was not akin to travels
into her own heart's interior.

for, like alaska's heart, her own
offered so much and ached for
an intrepid traveler who could
patiently await its slow unveiling.

Alaska

she had never seen
so many variations of white,
she thought to herself
as the suv moved north
through the rugged terrain.


mountains pressed in
on every side and presented
her with awesome views
of sheer beauty
and snow
and ice.


"oh, it's so beautiful," she breathed,
pointing out frost covered pine trees,
twinkling in late afternoon sunlight,
and signs warning of moose.


and with each mile that passed,
she felt her heart join the rhythm
of this wild frontier and she grinned
because she finally felt "home" again
out here in the middle of nowhere.

Up, Up and Away

she woke up giddy with excitement.

in just a few hours,

she'd be on her way

to the land of snow,

the midnight sun,

the iditarod,

and the aurora borealis.

she couldn't believe her luck

and thought to herself that

it really must be true

that what you spend time

thinking about comes back

to you in magical ways.

she giggled

and decided to spend
time thinking about
a million dollars,
a pound puppy,
land in montana,
and a free trip around the world.

she paused.

"oh, and maybe big dipper's
pumpkin ice cream recipe...
'cuz that stuff is G, double O, D,
GOOD!"

Continuing Adventures of Clark Kent

"have you ever noticed
how much he looks like clark kent?"
she mused to her friend,
while they studied him.

"oh, absolutely!" she replied,
"but don't be fooled...
he has a dark sense of humor,"
she said, finishing with a nod in his direction.

"really?" she asked.
"i never would have figured."

"oh, it's not quite
black hole for a soul dark," her friend said.
"just think of him as superman
with an edge."

"so, are you saying he's more
bruce wayne?" she asked with a grin.

"no, no...just maybe
a very distant cousin
of lex luthor's!" her friend finished.

and the words made her giggle
because she could perfectly
picture what that might look like.

Stellatarian

as she walked into work
last night, her old chum
orion laid down his bow
and asked her what was on her mind.

"little one," he boomed through the heavens.
"what ails you? you are not yourself."

"'tis okay," she murmured back.
"my mind is heavy with things
i cannot control and it's making me
a little tired and cranky.
i'm just low energy, big o!" she finished
with a lazy smile.

"ha!" he chuckled. "i think
what you need is a fancy celestial wellness cruise.
did i ever tell you about the one
i took recently? it was lovely.
they served the most wonderful
meteor shakes and sprinkled them
with fresh stardust. just delicious.
i felt energized for eons,"
he said with a starry glint in his eyes.

and she had to laugh
because even though he was known
as a great hunter, he was really
a vegetarian on the sly

and she could always count
on him to give her a rundown
of his latest smoothie adventures
whenever she was not herself.

Stellar Reminders

it had been a day
of blessed personal news
and sad news from others.

her heart was heavy
with the pain others carried
and it left her feeling
restless and unsettled.

elusive dreams carried
her into the night and,

as she drove into work,

she glanced up into the clear night sky
and wondered how there
could be equal parts peace
and chaos in the world.

and then a flash
as a shooting star lit up
the sky like a fleeting firework,
reminding her that magic
was afoot and all
would be right as rain...

eventually.

Weekend Aventures Of Clark Kent

i think i work with clark kent. so, in honor of this suspicion, i have crafted another poem in the series. click here to see the first. enjoy!

***

"my weekend started quietly," he said.
"i came home from work and
crawled into my den and tried to sleep."

"wait!" she gasped dramatically.
"don't you mean a fortress of solitude?"

"no, it's more like a den of
funitude," he replied with a grin.
"and i tried to sleep except i was
interrupted by a phone call at 3am."

"oooo, let me guess," she replied.
"you were called by the commissioner
to save children from a burning building?
stop a runaway locomotive?
remove a kitten from a tree?"

"no...i had bored friends," he replied,
"and in that moment i wished
i was a little more lex luthor
and less all-around good guy...
'cuz even a superhero needs
40 winks now and then, you know?"

A Few of My Favorite Things

"i just love fall," she said,
"especially october. it's
such a lovely month!"

"oh, and it's just full
of all my favorite things:
pumpkin orange colored trees,
apple picking (and munching),
thick sweaters,
breath which crystallizes in the night air,
rosy cheeks,
orion and the pleiades,
and now i get to add one more item to the list."

"what's that?" he asked curiously.
"piping hot molasses cookies from the oven?"

"mmmm," she replied.
"i was going to say you, silly,
but now you've got me thinking about
those cookies!

"still...you share so many
commonalities that i think
there's room for both of you
on the list," she finished with a wink
and a grin more mischievous
than that of the cheshire cat.

...And a river ran through it

the last time she went rafting,
she went over a 14 foot waterfall,
screaming just a little and
mostly out of sheer excitement
for what lay ahead.

and perhaps it was also that
way with matters of the heart, she mused.

you decide to head downstream,
happily "going with the flow" --
sometimes there are 5+ rapids (such fun!)
and sometimes tricky waterfalls.

they both propel you forward --
and, if you're lucky, you can find yourself in arms
strong enough to carry you through the rough patches,

making the ride all the
more surprising and delicious.

Puppy Kisses

"i wonder what he would say
to me if he could speak?" her mother asked
while looking at her dog.

"so, i asked him," she continued.
"i said, would you like a different
dog food? more ice cubes in your water?
what would you tell me?"

"and do you know what he did?"
her mother asked excitedly.

"no, what?" her daughter replied.

"well, he paused and then
stepped forward and licked me on the cheek
and then stepped back again and
just looked at me!"

"so, i think he's telling me
that he loves me," her mother finished.

and she said it with such surprise
that her daughter wondered
how she ever doubted it
in the first place.

Teatime with the Sisters

she looked up into the clear
night sky and was delighted to see
the seven sisters twinkling back at her,
full of news since they last saw each other.

she imagined them settling
themselves into the fall sky
after their cosmic journey,
brewing some tea and filling her in
on all the latest intergalactic gossip.

apparently, orion hunted a large comet
in the off-season, which now made
wearing a bit of comet dust in one's hair
"all the rage."

"do you think i could get some
of that dust for my own hair?" she asked shyly.

"of course, dear," said one of the sisters, stirring her tea,
"but it'll take light years to get here
and by then it will be so last season."

Zephyr Travels

as she walked from the building
crimson and pumpkin colored leaves
cascaded around her,
dancing and prancing their way
to the ground.

the sight made her giggle with delight
because she imagined that the leaves
loved the creativity and freedom
the fall offered,
especially after being tethered
to the trees since birth.

cruising to the ground,
they now had an opportunity
to vacation and see more of the world,
happily boarding the zephyr and
hurtling themselves into the unknown.

Azerbaijan & Italy -- overseas travels, part one

Antique store, Baku's Old City (İçəri Şəhər), September 2008

In the beginning of September, I found myself traveling half way around the world to Azerbaijan, stopping in Italy on my return. As I sat on the plane headed towards Azerbaijan, I found myself giggling because, in many ways, I like to think that I created this trip and made it happen just by thinking about it.

Here's the back story: back in May, I was looking at a map of the world with some friends and we were pointing out capital cities we loved to say. I fixated on Baku and demonstrated how I liked to say it, beginning with a very quick BAH and followed by an even higher pitched KOOO sound ("BAH-KOOOO"). Of course, the correct pronunciation, something I learned upon arrival, is actually "Bak-eh". My close friends here know what this sounds like and what it does to me when I say it -- I just giggle and giggle. Actually, I have to admit that over the summer, I said it a lot and rather randomly. I said it when I wanted to make myself feel better (due to the resulting giggle effect it has on me), I said it it when it conveniently rhymed with another word ("you", "loo", etc..), I said it when I talked about my future pound puppy that I shall name "Baku", and I said it when I talked about future possibilities ("How great would it be to go to Baku one day?").

In short, I uttered it frequently and kept throwing it back to the universe. Still, even I had to giggle with surprise when the opportunity came for me to travel there! Apparently, the universe was listening and sweetened the deal by including a stay in Italy on my return (more on that part of the trip in a future blog entry).

Minaret from Mohammad's Mosque with the Maiden Tower and the Caspian Sea visible in background.

Azerbaijan is an interesting country with warm, hospitable people eager to show off the beauty and history of their culture. One young man I encountered was kind enough to explain the country's complicated history to me for hours over coffee and cookies. Part of the country is separated from the rest of the country and lies between Armenia and Iran.

Baku is a city awash in contradictions. It felt to me like a 3rd world Paris with lovely architecture under decay (likely a result of the lengthy Soviet occupation) but with much recent work being done to renovate it. It is rich in oil; however, few people seem to receive the benefits of this wealth. One Azeri I spoke with described how oil literally oozed onto the surface back in the 19th century, leading to the country to become the world's largest supplier of oil at the turn of the 20th century.

Azerbaijan is both a diplomatic country -- consider its neighbors of Russia, Armenia and Iran -- and a Muslim country. However, if I did not know the latter ahead of time, I would never have known, as it was not obvious. Likely another nod to the Soviet occupation which lasted for decades. For example, unlike other Muslim countries in which I've found myself, in Azerbaijan I never heard the call to mosque and saw few visible reminders of Islam.

Perhaps the most striking thing I learned about the Azeri people is how sacred they hold friends and family. On our approach to Azerbaijan, I watched the man seated next to me on the plane buy Hermes ties for the friends he'd be seeing while in Baku. I listened intently to him describe how it would be bad form to show up empty handed upon encountering his friends and hosts. He also shared stories of how Azeris celebrate together for hours over vodka and how bread (incredibly sacred in Azerbaijan and never thrown away) sealed their ties to one another. It led me to write this poem which I posted on my blog shortly after my return.

Along Baku's Seaside Promenade with the Caspian Sea just behind.

My favorite outing in Baku was the day I literally lost myself in the city's twisting streets, tasted fresh street bread, haggled for shoes and rugs in the marketplace and took in the diverse people walking around me. Note to future travelers: it is exceptionally tricky trying to cross the street...any street. Traffic guidelines and lanes are merely suggestions, methinks! So, be prepared to RUN for your life! =)

Lastly, while Baku may not be the world's most beautiful city (the Caspian Sea is coated in oil, there is a stench to the air, feral cats own the streets, and it is impossible to feel clean walking around), it is a most fascinating one. I've never encountered anything quite like it before and I know its impressions will stay with me for some time.

"Clark Kent, I presume?"

"hey, you know you're
looking rather like clark kent tonight,"
she said to her friend.

"i mean, you've got the glasses,
the hair, the sport coat, and the bag.
are you sure you're not hiding a
superman cape anywhere?"
she asked mischievously.

"don't be silly," he stammered.
"i'm not superman."

"well, if we read in tomorrow's news
that a large aircraft was saved singlehandedly,
then i guess we'll know who to thank, huh?"
she continued.

he shook his head at her suggestion
and walked out into the night
AND, though she couldn't be sure,
she thought she saw a bit of red cape peeking
out from under his coat and the possibility
made her giggle for some time.

Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon....or....is it Mrs.?

he recently purchased
a snazzy new telescope
and rang her up to
tell her all about it.

"it's so amazing!"
he enthused.
"you gotta come over and see it.
i mean, i got up close and personal
with the moon.
THE MOON!!!"

"wow," she said.
"so, did you learn its name?"
she asked mischievously.

he paused over the phone and chuckled.

"no. not yet."

"well, let me know when
you have," she said,
"because i've been singing to
mister moon for years,
and i'll feel really silly if
it's been a missus all these years."

A New Kind Of Christening

they were headed to
west virginia to tackle
some big rapids
and she suggested they play a game.

"let's guess what cars we'll
see on the road today," she said.
"okay?"

he nodded in agreement.
"so, what do you want to see?"
she asked.

"a black porsche 911 carerra,"
he said without hesitation.
"hm," she mused, "i get more
of a porsche cayenne."
she paused.
"oh, and a classic green jaguar,
but we won't see that for a little while,"
she said confidently.

"do you know how rare
those cars are? how slim your chances
are of actually seeing them,
especially out here?"
he asked incredulously.

"yep!" she grinned.

***

later, when they saw both of her choices
in the time frame she predicted,
he told her he was only slightly
scared.

"so, can you be my own
personal witch?" he asked.

"i prefer 'faerie sprite'," she countered.
"still, if you throw in a wand and
some faerie dust, then i'd say you
got yourself a deal."

he smiled.
"for you? anything."

Gorillas in the Mist

"you're like a female version
of the silverback gorilla,"
her friend said to
her one morning.

"hm. is that a good thing?"
she asked with a grin.

"absolutely!" her friend replied.
"because it means that you're a strong
leader, you dig your veggies, and people
trust and like you."

"however, if anyone hurts
your troop, they're toast!"
she finished.

"whoa." she said.
"cool."

"yep," her friend said,
"and it's always good to have
a silverback gorilla on your
side in the wild and untamed
world of the paper jungle."

Brown Thumb

"i named my aloe vera
plant 'stella' because
she looks like a pointed star,"
she said.

"nice!" her friend replied.
"my plants used
to have names but they're
all dead.

"we did bury them
in the backyard, though,"
she finished.

"so, instead of a pet cemetery,
you have a plant cemetery?"
she asked mischievously.

"yeah," her friend replied
with a giggle. "something like that...
we just prefer to call it
fertilizer."

"Riddikulus!"

"well, you survived,"
he said, picking her up
from the airport.

"yep," she said,
"but it was trying,
even for a little
faerie sprite."

"i mean," she went on to vent,
"it was just so ridiculously
high maintenance --
where some women want a tiara,
i just want a wand."

"a wand, huh?" he
said with a chuckle.
"sounds easy enough."

"right?" she said.
"it would come in especially
handy at events like that
because it would allow me to cast a
"riddikulus" spell on an
even more ridiculous affair
and expose all
its silliness."

5-year-old temper tantrum

"pooh," she pouted.

"i really, really, REALLY
don't want to attend this upcoming function,"
she said, stomping
her left foot for emphasis.

"and just *knowing* that i have
to makes me crankier than a
five-year-old needing a nap!"

"oh, really," he said
with a wry smile.
"what exactly does that look like?"

"i'll show you," she said
as she lay down on the floor
and kicked her feet about
until she ended up laughing.

"of course, it's much more
effective when you don't giggle," she said,
trying to still her laughter for effect.

unsuccessful at the attempt,
she allowed herself to breathe in
the fantastic ridiculousness
of the moment,

giving her inner five-year old
an opportunity to soak up
every second of it.

Skiptastic

they were strolling
down the trail
and she skipped
for a few seconds
out of sheer joy.

he laughed.
"wait. did you just skip?"
he inquired with a grin.

"yep," she replied.
"sometimes life is so
good, i just have to skip
about like a little
faerie sprite."

"you should try it sometime,"
she added.

he didn't say anything
for a few seconds as
he watched her jump in
the sunshine.

and, out of the corner
of her eye, she saw him
do a small hop
as he strolled
and she burst out in giggles
and her happiness filled the air.

Entrainment

recently, she
discovered the term
"entrainment" which,
in the biomusical sense, is
used to describe the
synchronization of organisms
to an external rhythm.

she thought about
fireflies flashing in wooded glens
and cicadas calling to
one another during
heated nights in august.

and she had to wonder about
its effect on humans --
especially of the opposite sex --
because whenever she was
near him, her heart
began to follow
his in rhythm.

and she giggled
because it gave a whole
new meaning to
the phrase "in sync".

Updated Vision Board

Several months ago, I put together a vision board of things, experiences, and desires I had for my life. It was so much fun going through magazines and cutting out words and images to represent my biggest dreams and even more fun watching them come true. I just can't get over HOW QUICKLY they are all coming true. Now I find myself giggling when another wish becomes reality...such blessings.

The board looks very different now than it did upon its construction -- namely, there are many, many more additions, especially phrases of thought which have popped into my mind over the last 4 or 5 months and have come to have meaning.

So, it struck me recently that I needed to add to its already percolating magic, so as to give the universe fresh wishes to work on for me. I have a sense that this, too, will find continual updating, but, for now, here's my new list of things I'd like to do, experience and explore by the end of 2009.

1. Adopt a pound puppy that I shall call "Baku".
2. See the Aurora Borealis in both Alaska and Iceland.
3. Travel to Greece and take in Santorini's exquisite sunsets. Istanbul and Malta would also be nice.
4. Tandem skydive.
5. Tandem hang glide.
6. Live overseas for a month or two.
7. Publish my poetry collection entitled "A Book of Private Conversations".
8. Learn how to make a REAL Italian cappuccino -- my recent trip to Italy has me hooked.
9. See the pyramids in Egypt and get my photo taken by the Sphinx.
10. Learn the fascinating art of reflexology and begin offering reiki to prospective clients.
11. Learn how to find all the planets in a telescope.
12. Go on a ski trip and learn to snow board (yes, I realize this means falling down...a lot!)
13. Enjoy time with the family during next summer's vacay at the beach!
14. Read the complete collection of works by Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell and Dumas!
15. Buy my motorcycle and ride OFTEN!

Stay tuned as I know I'll be adding to this list often!

Morning Thimble Of Joe

"that spider is hanging out
by my coffee mug again,"
she exclaimed.

"maybe it's addicted?"
her friend offered.

"maybe," she said slowly.
"ooo, this would make a
great children's story!"

"it would be about a spider,
charles b. spiderfangs, that
fell into some coffee and went
wild spinning webs
everywhere until it was
so tired, it needed to take a nap."

her friend paused, smiled and said,
"i dig it though maybe
chuck should consider switching
to decaf at some point.

"studies show that increased
amounts of caffeine in
spider's system can really
mess with web construction"

Ceiling Swimmer

National Gallery of Art, July 2008.

"there's a swimmer on the ceiling,"
she exclaimed excitedly.
"how cool is that? i wonder if he's
doing laps or just enjoying the scenery?"

"what are you talking about,"
her friend asked as she snapped pictures.

"up there...on the ceiling!" she said,
pointing emphatically.
"i think he's doing the lap turn now."

her friend shook his head in disbelief.
"oh, to live in your brain for a day."

she giggled and replied,
"do you think you could handle it?"

her friend paused and considered the question.
"well, only if i was given a seat belt
and an eject button."

she giggled.
"no worries. i am SURE
my imagination can accommodate your requests."

"oh, i'm sure it can, too,"
he replied with a wry smile.

Women on a Bench

as she left the grocery store,
she noticed three elderly women
sitting on a bench and taking in
the swiftly moving world
of carts and disposable starbucks coffee cups.

their wrinkles, penciled in eyebrows --
slightly smudged -- faded red lipstick
and bouffant hairdos were a mixture
of the past and present.

but their eyes missed nothing.

they saw her and smiled
and she felt as if she had encountered
the three graces in disguise.

one of them winked at her
as she formed the thought
and she suddenly felt infused
with a surge of poetry and
pretty phrases.

and, so, it seemed only
right that she should write this for them
as an offering for their gift of creativity.

Alpha Male in the Headlights

he wrote her to tell
her that his most recent date
was an utter fiasco.

"she was cute as a button
but MEAN," he confided.
"i'm experiencing post-status fall...fell.
help."

"sounds like little kitty had claws, man"
she replied.
"i'm so sorry."

"emotions, like inflammation and trains,
cannot be stopped on a dime,"
he said.

"i've just got a weak spot for girls who
have spark and dig the outdoors.

"all higher order processing just stops
and i'm like a deer in headlights.
serves me right for not asserting
alpha status with her sooner," he added.

even though he couldn't hear her
she nodded in sympathy but knew
that even a declaration of alpha status wouldn't
protect him from the headlight effect.

she just hoped he'd discover the difference
between a mack truck and
a tandem mountain bike.

Grown-Up Dreams

she told her that
when she wanted
to be a mermaid
when she grew up.

"and, i want a purple sparkly tail,"
the five-year-old declared
with utmost seriousness.

"you do?" she replied
as the five-year-old
looked up at her with stubborn hope.

"well, i think that would be beautiful,"
she said with a quick smile.
"i hope it has lots of sparkles."

"me, too," said the five-year-old
as she skipped off to play.

and she paused to consider how many
grown-ups were out there walking
around as super heroes, dinosaurs,
ballet dancers and astronauts
without even knowing it anymore.

continuing on with her day,
she dusted off her fairy wand
and sprinkled pixie dust wherever
she went, hoping to remind others
to wake up to their own five-year-old dreams.

Warm Honeyed Love

"hi there, sweet pea,"
their voices rang down the corridor
and she saw their familiar waddles
before the sound of their combined greeting
filled her ears.

"hello, ms. pat. ms. queenie,"
she called in return, smiling.

and so it was like this every night
and had been for months.

because just when she was entering
a new chapter of her life,
filled with so much raw newness,
they were there to catch her.

and the warmth she experienced
from these women
was like nothing she'd previously felt.

she could only describe it as
being enveloped in a warm, sweet honey
which buoyed her pain and
slowly healed everything.

and she, in turn,
surrendered everything for this nightly dose
of grandmotherly love and
declared it better than another other balm
she had ever known.

Motorcycle

she had the pleasure recently
of riding around town
on a very fast suzuki gsx-r.

"oh, this is SO much fun,"
she exclaimed while squealing like
a four-year-old as he raced down the highway.
"i'm so glad you like it,"
he said at the next red light,
leaning her way in order to catch her words.

"are you kidding?" she said merrily.
"i want my own!
i am officially addicted!"

and as he lurched into traffic
she closed her eyes and saw herself
with a bike of her own,

happily sporting a snappy red leather jacket,
weathered frye boots,
and racing the boys for pink slips
during the last days of a halcyon summer.

Musings for a Thursday afternoon

So, it's a TH afternoon and I'm off to sleep soon. I find myself still a tad jet lagged after my recent overseas trip (half way around the world), BUT I do have more poems and longer musings forthcoming. Scout's honest truth.

Thinking of sleep makes me think of dreaming -- 'tis a very happy thought indeed. Currently, I'm taking a dream course and I can't wait to write more about what I'm learning and discovering in it. I am fascinated by my dreams and the figures/animals I meet there. Are YOU dreaming??? Keeping a dream journal? If not, I highly recommend it.

Mistress Creator

they spoke of the universe
and she wondered if she had created him
or if it was mere chance that
they happened upon each other.

"a coincidence?" he offered.

"but i don't believe in coincidences,"
she said. "i have been desiring
someone like you, first in my dreams
and then in waking life,
for some time."

"and i think the universe finally
decided to grant me my many
years worth of star wishes."

Caelum Walking

milan, september 2008

milanese duomo --
she walked along the spine of the church

and inched vertebratically towards
its space of miracles.

standing in the sky,
she breathed in an ancient city
and marveled at carved pink marble
and the moxie of medieval hands.

gargoyles and silent guards studied her as she passed,
and gently whispered suggestions as to
how to build her own life

now that word was out that
she had stripped the scaffolding
from her soul and finished
her inner remodeling.

Flutterings

she had flown in on the
winds of a hurricane
and found herself
in terra nuova.

the chrysalis now removed,
delicate gossamer wings
stretched in newer sun.

later, on her first flight,
she paused to look into a pool of water
and was delighted to learn
she was really a pretty
yellow flutterby,

merely pausing to catch her breath
before heading out on a new adventure.

City

she went to the
'land of fire'
to discover the pulse
of a people

who build friendship with bread
and seal bonds with vodka

in a layered city full
of scars and walls --

the aorta of a people's heart.

A New Garden

perhaps it was only when
she visited the orphanage of her soul
and mothered the lost parts of herself
that she blossomed into woman.

and because she had
chosen to claim this name
as her own,
she was given man

and met him on a plane
where their equalities mingled
and childhood was tucked away --

not forgotten but rather transformed.

Zed -- Reptilian Fashion Plate

she had never thought
to name her internal reptilian naysayer.

so, she sat down with
some paint and brought her little
purple companion to life.

apparently, as she came to learn,
his name was "zed" and
he had a thing for pink polka dots.
"i like their whimsical effect,"
he declared.

"anything else?" she asked curiously.

"yeah," he grinned.
"whenever i get really annoying
it probably means i just need a yellow gumdrop
and maybe a belly rub."

he thought for a second.

"oh, and maybe a hug.
'cuz it's not easy being a purple
reptilian naysayer, you know.
i need love, baby."

and she giggled,
thinking they were going
to get along just fine.

Twinkle Toes

she skipped like
a four-year-old
through the post office
parking lot, proudly
showing off her new sparkly silver shoes.

an older gentlemen grinned
and held the door for her saying,
"it's always a good idea to start
one's saturday morning
by following a little sprite's
happy silver shoes into the post office."

and she giggled, happily
sharing some of her fairy dust with him
as she breezed in to mail her letters.

Dance Like A Star

he told her that perhaps
some star was thanking them,
and she smiled at the thought.

it delighted her to think
that somewhere in the universe
a star was dancing out its joy
of their meeting
to the rhythm of some cosmic stomp.

Decaf!

"i really like what you've done
so far," she said with a pause,
"but it could be just a little less caffeinated."

they giggled.

and this is why she loved her friend
because she could say things like
'be more herbal' and
her friend would just get it.

Horse Whisperer

"i'm a wild horse,"
she said.

"hey, i'm not a bridle
or a saddle,"
he replied.

"just think of me like the wind.
you'll still feel me except i won't leave a mark."

Helo Operator

"i wanted to be a
helicopter pilot," her aunt said,
"until i learned about all
the math requirements."

"so, now i'm a hairdresser."

her voice became wistful and
she knew she was dreaming
of flying the montana skies
in a blackhawk,

parking it at the local
beauty supply store
while she browsed for specials.

Sister Scavenger

i lost part of my foot
in a bike accident
and asked my sister
go look for the pieces.

she never found them,
but i still laugh today
thinking how sweet
she was to scour the sidewalks,

searching for pieces of me.

A New Kind Of Food Network

monsters used to chase
her in her dreams
until the day she ate one.

i never asked her
if it needed any seasoning.

Tea? En garde!

"there's this elderly couple
who lives near me,
and they're always tending
to their garden," she sighed.
"i wish i knew them."

"well, what if they only looked pleasant?"
her friend asked.
"what if they were really
dart throwing gardeners?"

she thought for a second.

"well, i'd still want to know them,"
she replied.
"i just wouldn't stay for tea."

Bearing With Me

they were camping
in grizzly country
and she was petrified.

but she knew that bears
didn't like a lot of noise,
so she blew her whistle
for eight hours straight.

her friend
doesn't like whistles anymore.

Lions and Tigers and Bears

"life is really like
the animal planet,"
she said.

"everyone's out there
marking their territory
and the trick is just
not to get peed on."

Deejaying a Private Set

she was asked recently
if she danced.

"do you stomp, slither,
sashay, swing, slide,
move and groove
with abandon?
with wild spontaneity?"
her friend wondered.

she giggled when she
read the question
because she did all
that and more -
and that was before lunch.

*

upon deeper reflection, though,
she knew that nothing coaxed
her inner goddess out onto
the world's dance floor like
the sound of her own
distinct soul music.

and the goddess within purred
in delight upon recognizing
the music's first strains and chords.

she sultrily stepped into the reverberations
and whirled herself into oblivion.

Infinite Possible Futures

they sat around the table
laying tarot
and divining the future.

"this is so much fun,"
she told her friend.
"i'm so excited!"

"so, get ready to focus
on your question,"
her friend advised
as she shuffled the deck.

and as the cards
revealed themselves to her,
her smile grew exponentially
because it was exactly
as she had seen it herself.

and the confirmation of this
made her giggle with wild and
unabashed abandon.

Tigger Grooves

one day her angel
came to her while
jumping up and down
on a pogo stick.

"these things are the coolest,"
she said,
"i've been going non-stop
for twenty-four hours."

she giggled as she watched
her angel bounce around.

"you gotta get one.
i mean, why fly when
you can pogo?"

Stellar Contrails

when the night was quiet
they slipped into its dark places,
searching for the perseid meteor shower.

"i've never seen a meteor,"
he confessed,
"so i don't know exactly what
to look for."

"you'll know it
when you see it,"
she said mysteriously.
"just wait. it's ephemeral magic."

and as cassiopeia danced above them
a bright streak grazed the sky
and they exhaled both awe and wonder.

"now," she paused,
"close your eyes and make a wish."

so there they stood,
shrouded in darkness, in air that
moved like summer lilies
and made silent, private wishes that
now found wings on a celestial object.

Mooning Over Austen's England

she was in love with
jane austen's england and all
its polite manners, country dances
and exclamations of
"capital! capital!"

but what captured her heart
most of all were the
carefully written letters
of her heroes.

few could craft a missive
like fitzwilliam darcy or
captain wentworth.
and she'd often find herself day dreaming
she was either elizabeth bennet
or anne elliot.

but, she also knew that
it was just a matter of time
until her own hero penned her
a letter that'd leave her breathless.

in the meantime, she happily
snuggled into her couch,
munched on some popcorn and
watched wentworth write anne
that one particular letter
for the 100th time,
dreaming of what was to come.

Flights Of Elevation

she always enjoyed
riding elevators
because of the possibilities
they offered.

but what made her giggle out loud
was the personality of
one particular elevator at work

because whenever she stepped
onto it, a particular someone else
always got on a few floors down

and she had to wonder
if the elevator was bored with
its day job and recently decided
to play matchmaker to keep things interesting.

Alice

"alice and the bluebird" by leah piken kolidas and purchased by me. =)

she hung the painting
of alice opposite her bed
in order to remind herself
to journey often.

and to always
take the rabbit hole
when presented to her,
remembering, of course,
to bring a flashlight

because, sometimes,
it gets a little
dark in the labyrinth.

Pizza Aficionados

they were chatting
about spiders and he told
them that they loved food -
"especially pizza," he said.

"pizza?" she exclaimed curiously.

"oh, yeah" he stated.
"i mean, what spider doesn't like
pizza? baby spiders love it.
teenage spiders love it.
spiders on their last leg love it.
there are even some spiders that
will work minimum wage for it."

"but you gotta watch them,"
he said seriously,
"because they use the toppings
to practice new web designs,
and this really slows down their delivery service."

A Preference For Cherry

her sister had
just moved into
a converted factory
when she called her late at night.

"i think i have a ghost,"
she whispered.
"a little irish boy named danny.
he seems lonely."

"well, maybe you should read him
some children's books,"
her sister suggested.
"ooo, and do it with accents.
kids always like that."

"you know what else he likes?"
her sister said mysteriously.
"cherry lollipops. he won't touch
the other flavors i leave out for him."

and she burst out in giggles
imagining her sister
furtively leaving cherry lollipops
behind for a little lonely ghost
only she could see.

You're Not In Kansas Anymore!

as they settled in the
elevator together,
she found herself admiring
the other woman's
sassy red shoes.

"ooo," she squealed with delight.
"what fun red shoes you have!"

the other woman looked
down with pride and said,
"i love them, too,
but i'm nervous because
they're a little bold."

"well, maybe it's good to
give folk something to talk about,"
she offered.
"and if they don't like them,
you can always click your heels
together three times and go
somewhere else."

"some days," she confided with a wink,
"i find myself going lots of
interesting places."

Yum in the Tum

she smiled to herself
as she pulled her breakfast
from the microwave.

it was a whole bowl
full of tasty cream of wheat,
blueberries, soy milk,
and agave nectar.

"cream of wheat is awesome,"
she exclaimed,
"especially when it's lumpy like this.
i mean, why is it THIS good?"
she wondered aloud as she stirred.

her friend looked up from
her book and playfully said,
"that would be because it's not a cereal --
it's a nectar of the gods."

and they had a terrific
giggle over it as she
happily took her first bite.

Cosmic Tea Party

she told her about
fear being a darkroom
where negatives developed

and her friend paused
and said, "well, we'll have to
install some twinkly lights and
invite fireflies to play."

"ooo," she exclaimed with mirth,
"what about laser beams
and glow in the dark cat eyes?"

"and we can't overlook sparklers
and shooting stars, can we?"
her friend added.
"we must invite them, too."

and then they decided they
better serve tea and moon cookies
so that all their guests would feel
refreshed and more inclined to
help them redecorate.

Bits and Starts

there are several rivers which work their way through missoula.
one was very close to where i used to live and it snaked through a
lovely little nature preserve i used to frequent.
i loved it -- watching the great horned owls
sit passively in the pine trees and the bald eagles
play in the river.

the spring melt quickened the river and moved a downed tree
at just the perfect angle so that when things quieted in
the fall and winter, i used to climb out on it and
listen to the river's musings.

it had so much to say and i was grateful to listen rather than speak.

***

she was decidedly a morning person --
enjoying the absolute silence as she began her days.
but as she walked to the elevator, she paused, considering that perhaps she was also
a night owl, as the night offered quiet times, too.

and she had to wonder what it meant to want to live life
predominantly on the periphery -- away from others -- and
absorbed in a silence which fed her more than anything.

***

she glanced at the elderly couple seated next to her in the coffee shop.
they sat in silence, each absorbed in a section of the washington post.
the woman punctuated the silence with staccato descriptions of available properties
as advertised in the real estate section.

"three bedrooms." "close to national zoo." "marbled entrance."
and she rustled the paper to get her husband's attention.

he never glanced up from his own section

but he did occasionally reach for their shared coffee cup.

the woman offered several raspy sighs and murmured "i just don't understand"
and she found herself wondering if she had meant her husband's lack of interest

or the mercurial moods of the real estate market.