goodbye december

 goodbye 2017 

*

hello 

memories

strung from the branches 

of time hello to the little things 

we hang on to only to let go of again 

and again

xo

xo

with abundant blessings we each be held in love for a new year

xo

with the brightness

of a wild sky

in the search 

for peace, strong health,

happiness, and love 

may we all remember 

sand is but crushed stone

from hardness and with time

comes the yielding of softer things

xo

shadow~time

of self 

and season

searching for light 

sometimes just a whisper

soft and low

so deep down

it's mistaken for wind shaking the trees

listen deep

look hard

xo

almost dark

almost light

the thin line 

joy to terror

blink of an eye

beat of a heart

here and now

here and gone

xo

so often - juxtaposition 

thoughts, emotions, what we witness

and how we take any of it in

complicated seems such a simple word 

but the concept can be mind-boggling

behind iron gates 

often sits peace

xo

several years ago i lived in a house where two peacocks ruled the roost, i wanted to mimic the colors of those birds, i wanted to throw my head back and scream the way they did; blood thinning, heart pumping wildly, i wanted to toss my feathers into the fog filled sky and dance around in circles, i didn't do any of this, i took photographs of the birds and feed them seeds and bread crusts, i called them names i made up and they came running to me, why? i'll never really know, 

i think life is like this---

a dance we make up as we simply go along ... 

and hope like heck it will be remembered as beautiful ...

xo 

family

of us - we love books and words

we love photographs and memories

we share quite moments in a darkened room

listening and learning the breath of life

and death

a kind man is living 

and dying 

on sips of water

goodnight he whispers

outside birds sing

in the kitchen molasses bread is sliced 

and tears are released

the knots in the wooden floors 

are as dark as walnut husks

we stand on them and share hugs 

amazed anything can hold us up

xo

there are clouds at my feet

jesus bugs walking on water

reflections break

white light returns me home

i live here now

here now i live

i want to remind 

everyone

everyone

many times

many times

of the power of love

don't suggest 

it's already been said

repeat after me

repeat

after

me

love

love

love

...

xo

May Day

when my sisters and I were kids we made baskets of colorful woven paper and filled them with flowers and love notes. We delivered these to the doors of neighbors who also happened to be people we adored...our grandparents, Mrs. Tatro, the Kings-who lived on The Corner, though it really was an elbow in the road that we were told to always be careful when coming 'round. On bicycles it was a rush, later driving cars it was called blind and we knew what this meant- we had a blind Aunt Lily, she needed help finding her way sometimes, but she always knew how tall we were becoming by the way she felt of us. She'd trace her soft hands over our faces to find smiles and to know just how big we'd become. Our Uncle Rolly would whistle when she got to the top of our heads and hand us each a quarter. Uncle Sammy would hear the whistle and come running-his shaking hands open for change.

xo

Last night I woke up, sat up, and thought about things and ones being half-hearted. I put it in the same vein as being not interested or curious. Thought it so sad!
I don't want to live a day of my life with half a heart or half a brain.
I want to expand and grow BIGGER!
xo

February 2017

I heard a story this past week that has fascinated me since.
Told by the mother of two boys who are mirror twins.
One is left-handed, the other right.
The beginning swirl of hair
on each of their heads
goes two
different
directions.
One a great hunter,
the other a strict vegan.
But still they are brothers.
There are so many ways to be different
to ones we hate and also to the ones we love.
This week I also witnessed the emerging of three butterflies.