What If?

I wish
to add more
to my life

but survival
keeps getting
in the way.

Sometimes, though,
the moment
is so beautiful...

What If
takes a backseat.  ~kc

Sunday on the Porch

Perfect Sunday on the
porch--mild breeze,
sunshine, book in hand--

Feet propped up on the
table...something
tickling my ankle:

Green lizard perched
on my red-painted
nails,
tasting my
toes with his
tongue.         ~kc

Cold Weather in the South

First blue-norther:
two robins peeping in the cedar tree,
a skein of snow geese
honking above,
circling,
wondering where to land
in civilization   ~kc

Joy in the Creative Process

Some FaceBook friends of mine prompted me to start writing again. All I seem to be accomplishing, however, is either poems, or Musing on the Creative Process. In an attempt to prove to them that I am writing…sort of—LOL—I decided to share in my musings.

One of the topics that came up the other day was “Family-itis”—meaning, real life gets in the way of what we really want to do …with our life! I am reminded of a lovely lady, Carol Ding, who I met at the World Science Fiction Convention in Philadelphia in 2001. She was creative in many areas, not just writing. Her photos were magnificent. And I seem to remember she sewed as well, plus other crafty kinds of things. She’s dead now, of an aneurism in the brain. Walking around normal one minute, and gone the next. What I’m trying to say with this story is that I don’t think it matters, really, whether we turn into the next J.K. Rowling, or Beethoven, or whomever.  What matters, really, is that we have fun before we die.

Easier said than done, I know. But it CAN BE DONE! It’s a slow process of weeding out the unnecessary things in your life. Several years ago, there was a task at work that was driving me crazy. I delegated it to someone else [now he’s going crazy, poor guy, but I will not relent!]. I refuse to feel guilty for spreading the work around for others to do.

Balance is the key. I do not make a fortune. Deliberately. I want my TIME to create! I take that time…. At least I try. Yeah, the “Family-itis” got me down recently too. It’s so easy to devolve  into “Let Me Help You With That”…[sigh]. But I AM IMPORTANT TOO!!! [you need to tell yourself] Don’t you forget that! Make the time for yourself. Make it happen TODAY!

Oh, and so I can show my FaceBook team that I’m really being creative with my writing, here’s the poem I wrote on Monday:

PRECIOUS MEMORY

Continent’s edge—

Sea stacks, sea fog,

Sunset’s glow…

Briny waves clacking rocks.

Rocks worn by time…

Tapping against each other…

Tide, waves keep

Them moving.

Three gray oblong rocks

Brought home as souvenirs—

Heavy in the suitcase—

Now on my dusty dresser,

Not wet or moving

Yet smooth to the touch.

~kc

Joy in Where You Live

For my friends in the frozen north I send a vision of my mid-February business trip:

The song, "TEXAS" says: "Heat and blue sky, a road that goes forever."
This state is indeed large, though not so hot in February.

Driving home through
Pouring chill rain and cracking thunder
We see black cattle on rolling green pastures
Stretching to a horizon dotted with majestic oaks,
Windmills, red barns, horses, and oil pumps,
Rock fences, cactus, deer, and yard-chickens,
Drought-dead trees and flooding streams,
Sandhill cranes, snow geese, and longhorns.
And on this narrow road, 18-wheelers,
Pickup trucks, and Harleys.
We pass small town antique stores,
Palm trees, bare willows in fog,
White-barked sycamores lining wide rivers.

Home again on the coastal plain we are
Greeted by pink roses blooming, doves cooing,
Warm humidity, three over-wintering hummingbirds,
And, by nuzzling deep, the scent of kitty tummy just washed.

"They got big long roads out there,
Warm winds blowin'...
Texas--the only place to be."

[Quoted passages by Chris Rea]

Joy in Living

Doing it Right
doesn't mean
Making No Mistakes--
It means:
When you finish,
People smile :) ~kc

Good luck in the new year, my friends.

Joy in Peace

The news this weekend is horrific.

There will never be peace
In this divided world.
There will never be understanding
With offenses so great.

I mourn what
I cannot understand:
Killing that never stops,
Offenses without end.

If you too have a need to find Joy in Peace, see this link: Tolerance.org

Joy in eating

Hey, even if you're on a diet, you can still appreciate food...just not as much of it--LOL.

With the weekend coming up, I'm sure you've already thought of at least one thing you want to eat in the next few days. Do tell, please.

Here's a poem I wrote a month ago, but it fits well here:

Oreo, Oreo, oh how I love thee
This diet I’m on…says we cannot meet
So we’ll have to do it secretly:
Oreo, Oreo, oh how I love thee!

Joy in weirdness

Monday morning blues
In reflection—
Sunshine & cicadas.
~

Why are Mondays so difficult? Could be the weekend didn’t turn out as planned. Or life isn’t what we want either. Maybe the week/month/years ahead don’t look too bright. Whatever the reason, for some of us, Mondays are where all this garbage crashes.

This morning, while doing the “beginning of week” chores, I chatted to self until the blues went away. Discovered a depth of Being previously unknown. Feel better.

OK—so, it’s weird to talk to yourself. If you have a shrink who helps, I’m happy for you. I’m especially glad if you have a friend who understands and responds with your best interests in mind. Some of us, however, need self-talk to get back on track. If you do this too, please don’t call yourself names. That’s not healthy.

Coincidentally, in my POWER OF NOW read yesterday, Mr. Tolle told me I need to dispense with self as best friend. Hmmm…I’ve always believed there are exceptions to every rule –LOL- and I’m sure Mr. Tolle would argue this with me, but I think that if we don’t take care of ourselves first, then we are unable to then be stewards of humanity as the highest of ideals dancing in our heads would have us be.

Be kind to yourself today, but don’t indulge either. It doesn’t matter if you secretly dip into a bad habit; you will know in your heart whether or not you live up to your own standards. But go easy, too, on those expectations. Deep inside, we’re all weird. There’s truly no such thing as “normal” when speaking of human behavior. Set goals that can be reached, then reach for them.

And it does help to know yourself. Go for it! Life gives us permission to be weird. As long as you’re kind to others too, smiles will follow you through the day.

Joy on Friday

Some Fridays are better than others. I sure am glad this week is nearing an end!

One of the issues around here is the heat. Our county is suffering the worst summer ever. We're used to the heat here in Texas, but the drought is killing us. Water is so precious, and this year really brings home how much we depend on it to survive.

Upside-down squirrel--
hind feet on tree,
drinking from bowl at base.

One of the joys of my life is my pets. I've had cats, dogs, birds, fish, even a mouse once. But I fell into rabbits back in 2000 and haven't come up for air yet. I currently have a bonded pair of mini-rex, age 8 1/2. They're incorrigible! Yesterday, for example, I was doing my morning stretches before getting dressed. I bent down to touch my toes, and came nose to nose with a four pound bun. "I'm still hungry, mom," she seemed to say.

Rabbits are like
Hobbits
Don't you see!
They want breakfast,
More,
And three!

What puts a smile on your face?

Joy on Monday

Now that’s a challenge! Back in December of 2008, one of my “Monday Poems” published on Every Day Poets This is it:

Monday eve
Watching sunset
Trying to remember
Who I am.

Yes, the mind is a jumble, stretched between weekends and day-jobs. Though I have written other “Monday Poems”, this is my most recent:

The sun shines through the
Ragged edges of my life—
Yet still it’s Monday.

Mondays wrench us sideways. This morning I counted my blessings. Just knowing how many people in this world are starving …no, my problems pale in comparison.

This past weekend I did have a moment of Joy. Let me share it with you:

Reclining in the hammock under two huge sycamores
Reading, luxuriating in sunshine—
Deciding to tease the squirrels by smacking my lips,
Being surprised instead by a flock of small birds.
Tufted titmice, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays…
All came to see what the smacking was about,
Discovering instead a human
Trying very hard not to laugh.
My, the fuss!
Birds, birds, birds.

Hope your Monday is sweet.