Magpie

it was in that summer
on the picket line between childhood and adulthood
that i knew blue

and you stole it from me
like a greedy magpie
to add to your nest of memories -

something flashy here
old strands of linen there

and my blueness
hastily woven into your history
as you bed someone new.

nights reveal hushed whispers
and "sad" stories

and i,
the vehicle,
the gasoline,
which you surreptitiously light
in the inky darkness,
burn your wings
and cry "martyr".

Crow

old grave's shifted soil
reveals protruding memory bones,
o'keeffe white.

the crow sits,
patient observer --
deliberates.

inspects the buried,
looking for another
morsel of encapsulated time
to suck
and pick clean.

its beak reaches
and the earth's skin
breaks and bleeds anew.

and i watch the carrion bird at work
fascinated and angered by its
natural biological propulsion.

Marathon Training Lesson #4: Smiling goes a long way

This morning I threw on my running shoes and hit the trail early. The air held the promise of a beautiful day and with the light breeze and cool temperatures, I was eager to take this body of mine out for a spin to see what it could do.

When I run, I don't listen to music, preferring instead to take in the sounds around me: snippets of conversations between old friends, various tones of bicycle chimes, dogs barking, hawks screeching. I start wondering about all these lives and what motivates them to get on the trail that early on a Saturday morning. It gives me something to ponder as the miles stretch out before me.

About half way through my run, I noticed an older man, probably late 60s/early 70s, chugging along on the trail. My first thought was "bully for you!" but what affected me long after we passed each other was his huge smile. Here was someone running with a genuine smile! Runners don't always look happy to me, especially as the conditions worsen and pain kicks in, but this guy clearly knew bliss.

I wondered to myself what would happen if I finished my run in imitation of him?

Answer? An even better run!

A yoga teacher once told me that sometimes the hardest thing to do in a challenging moment is to pull the corners of your mouth up into a smile. And, if you could do that one small thing, you'd find you'd feel better within seconds. He was telling the truth. Marathons are certainly challenging, as are all the months of preparation, so I took the tip from my joyful messenger, smiled and grinned the rest of my way through the run. I was surprised to learn that I finished it faster and with more energy than past runs.

Lesson learned! Smile. Smile often on the running trail...on the life trail. It sure makes the journey a heck of a lot more exciting and felicitous.

Fourth of July Festivities

July is one of my favorite months. It's the height of summer, people are generally more relaxed, and the weather is usually sunny and bright. I had some time off around the Fourth and was keen to do something, so we hopped in the car, set our sights on Charlottesville and its environs and got on our way.

First stop: Luray Caverns. I'd gone caving before as a kid but that was some time ago so when the opportunity presented itself to explore under ground, I was game. According to their website, the caverns began to form 4,000,000 centuries ago and are the largest and most popular caverns on the East Coast.

Titania's Veil, Luray Caverns, photo taken from website.

The caverns were such great fun and I felt my imagination soar as I took in the natural art around me. Incredible to think that all of this was created by dripping water! Fascinatingly, the caverns boast of a Stalacpipe Organ--the world's largest musical instrument created by Mr. Leland W. Sprinkle in 1954. By attaching rubber-tipped mallets to some of the stalactites, he was able to create musical compositions, some of which can still be heard today in the caverns. Luray Cavern was full of surprises and I think I most enjoyed skulking about like Persephone!

Next up: Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive is one of the most beautiful drives I've done to this date. It's about 105 miles of winding roads through pretty country tucked amid steep mountain ridges. The trees were lush with summer greenery and I found myself thinking that I would have to come back to tour fall's colors. Camping, hiking, backcountry opportunities abound! Lots to do here other than soak up its beautiful vistas. If you're in the Virginia area, do check it out.

As we twisted our way to C-ville, we decided to try out local wines. Since moving here, I've learned a bit about Virginia wines, even drinking a few bottles. I was surprised...some are actually pretty terrific! So, don't be fooled when folk tell you Virginia should stop making wines. False information! Virginia boasts of several rather intrepid winemakers who are happy to sit down and chat about their visions, processes and wines. Over the course of the weekend, we went to 5 different vineyards, tasted, chowed down some burgers and listened to bluegrass on the premises.

We tasted at Afton Mountain, Jefferson, First Colony, Kluge, & Blenheim and bought wines from each vineyard. We brought home Afton's Mountain Rose, Riesling 2008 and Gewurztraminer 2008; Jefferson's Chardonnay 2008, Cabernet Franc 2007 and Viognier 2008; First Colony's Cabernet Franc 2006; Kluge's Ablemarle Simply Red 2004; Bleinheim's Cabernet Franc 2008, Viognier 2008, Rose 2008. Of these, I think the wines at Jefferson, Kluge and Blenheim impressed us most for their crisp taste and overall quality.

After each day of touring, we contented ourselves with the simple charm and hospitality of downtown Charlottesville, feasting on terrific meals and taking in the folky yet sophisticated ambiance. The city has this relaxed college town vibe, reminding me a little of Missoula but not completely. I was previously in C-ville back in 2003 when I was thinking about attending the University of Virginia's Architectural History Ph.D. program. Princeton won out but there are days when I wonder what I missed out on down there in the Blue Ridge mountains.

Entrance to Monticello, July 4, 2009.

History buffs that we are, we decided it'd be a sin not to stop by Monticello on the Fourth and pay our respects to Jefferson (he died on July 4, 1826). I consider him one of our nation's most ingenious, fascinating yet perplexing individuals. Here was the man who argued that the U of V should be place in Ablemarle Co. because it had the state's longest living people...the man who brought architecture to the forefront of early American thinking...who was a voracious reader and talented statesman. BUT he was also the man who argued against slavery while owning slaves. And what about his hush-hush relationship with Sally Hemings? Was that love or simple advantage?

On the whole, it was a lovely trip, a feast for all senses. If you find yourself in Virginia, do try to get over to that section of the state. It's gorgeous and rich in learning opportunities.

Krishna

"come and see," he said
and opened his mouth wide
to reveal the universe's vastness.

and she saw the simultaneous
blush and pallor of worlds --
birth and death --
contained neatly in the charioteer.

"come and see,"
he said
and beckoned her.

and she took the opportunity
and climbed into the mouth that fed her

one with the starry universe

and swam in the embryonic dust
of her unborn self.

Prism -- For Moon Woman

water shimmers and shimmies
refracting light -
internal bling on display.

illusory
but visible

moving mirages under water.

Dragonfly

whir of impatient wings
actively flirting
with the shine
from a new car.

and i sit within
and record the
unrequited mating
with a giggle
as it flashes by

one
more
time.

Fractal

little snippets of self,
replicating
upwards and outwards
like a Pythagoras tree.

living dna
in miniature
ever reducing itself
towards the infinitesimal

and shifting
to the beat of a
mathematical leitmotif.

Marathon Training Lesson #3 -- Hot Water Never Felt So Good

Today, as part of my ongoing marathon training regimen, I ran 14 miles. It is the longest I have ever run in one go and I ran it in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Whoa.

I have to admit that I was a little anxious before I got started given that I had just returned from a short vacation and was uncertain how my body would react to a weekend off my training diet/schedule. Apparently, my body dug it because 14 miles came and went without a drop in energy or cadence. The last mile was perhaps the toughest due to some tender knees and ankles but, on the whole, I bee bopped along without incident.

Still, given that I'm really trying to be careful with my knees (it'd be nice to have original parts at 80) and knowing (from experience) how sore my muscles get after these long runs, I soaked in a jacuzzi for a while and let the hot water work its magic. Afterward, I massaged the muscles with some oil and stretched them out for a while longer.

Soaking afforded me a little time to contemplate today's run and the mileage that still awaits me in the coming months. In that moment, I recognized that I was pooped but invigorated...that my knees and ankles were barking but that the hot water soothed them...that working past the mind allowed for great achievements in the body...and that I was proud of myself and my small accomplishment. 14 miles isn't 26.2 miles but it's more than half way there!

Winner Announced as Voice of Wisley

After two months of waiting, the Royal Horticultural Society finally announced the winner of May's Voice of Wisley contest. And, in my book, the best part of the announcement is that the winner is none other than Sarah Darwin, Charles Darwin's great-great granddaughter. What a lovely historical continuation involving one botanist to another!

Over 40 individuals came to Wisley to audition for the contest in late spring and the contenders were wittled down to about ten or so based upon their reading of favorite literature--from Shakespeare to poetry to the great books. The tomato plants listened to these recordings through headphones secured to their pots and measurements of their growth were taken over the two months. Results showed that Ms. Darwin's tomato plants grew 1.6 cm higher than the control plants in the study. Her choice of literature? Selections from The Origins of Species, of course.

Perhaps one of the most revealing aspects of the study is that the plants reponded better to women's voices than men's. No explanation is given for this but some like Colin Crosbie, Garden Superintendent and curator for the "Voice of Wisley" experiment, suspect that it may have something to do with tone and pitch. Regardless, it makes me want to draw all my plants around me and read them stories nightly!

Shiver me timbers!

"i am sitting through the most mind numbing training,"
she complained to her friend.

"it is some of the most unintuitive,
utterly ridiculous stuff i've ever had to learn
and it makes me sigh and say inwardly
'there has to be a better way to do this.'

she paused.

"but mutiny probably isn't a good idea,"
she consented with a grin.

"although i have a direct line to Blackbeard
in case i decide to go forth."