Nostalgia

where. did. all. the. time.
Go?
passing Quick and Hot as the midday sun shining over a four-lane interstate Slow as the evening sun creeping below the horizon lazily inching until only a fingernail of fire remains
and vanishes so You
you have crept past me Out of our life Splendid Dazzling Blinding crept into your own life now living and yet
I am left here to remain
your friend in another world where Time
is no enemy and Friends
are forever.

a dream that woke me up at night

Goldilocks

She came to me for comfort
and I wrapped my arms around her heart.
"Too tight," she said.

She came to me for wisdom
and I shared with her my truth and light.
"Too bright," she said.

She came to me for solace
and I spoke love and peace into her mind.
"Too loud," she said.

She came to me one last time
and took my head into her hands.
She whispered back to me
and hauntingly
she sliced me open chin to chest
with the tip of her fingernail.
And left my insides wide wide open
a vulnerable red window into my pain.
Left me to hide away from her in the
secret places
of our family home.

To run and run and run and hide
until the gifts I could offer her
were just right.

For Home.

Home.

Like an intimate friend greeting you again
A sigh of relief and release
of the unknown.

Here there is the light air of domesticity
and the crinkling of laughter.

Here is the openness of forgiveness and
the shoulder you can cry on.


A place where there is freedom in the kitchen
to create anything you like
to experiment with new and eclectic flavors
to burn the bottom of the pan and
begin anew.

To create and be created, again and again
Pleasant aromas wafting easy memories into consciousness.

Leave the door open
to the bedroom.

Forget to close the bathroom door.

Turn the lights off when you want to.
Stay up late to read a book without any
bothersome interruptions.


Walk around in a bathrobe
or nothing at all
just because
you can.

Be absent-minded, forgetful and at-a-loss for words.
Stumble, drop things, trip over your feet.
It's ok. These things happen.

Here you are free to be as witty, articulate and clever as you'd like...
Or not.

Wrap yourself in the comfort of familiarity
A resting place for weary feet

A pillow for your thoughts.

Home.

What I wish I could make more of right now

Transitioning

The Juggle

Glimpse of Eternal #4

How are you feeling today?

I found this really amazing website called Kickstarter a few months ago. In a nut shell, this website enables you to help people raise money for various creative and innovative projects by pledging an amount of money. If the project does not meet its finding goal by the deadline, then it doesn't get any of the money-- you don't get charged. As an incentive to donate, each donation comes with a little gift that you receive if the project gets funded, and the gift is usually related to the project, like having your name listed in a documentary, receiving a CD of an album, or in this particular case, being able to commission a work of art.

Through Kickstarter, I came across Jim Ether who was raising money so he could buy some more time to continue his pursuits as an artist. As a fellow artist, I loved the simple request of someone who genuinely just wanted to make some art. As a "thank you" for donating, he would include you in his pursuit by making some art just for you. I was hooked. I perused his website and saw an image of various colored heads with different facial expressions. I was reminded of those simple posters some therapists use with smiley faces and the question "How are you feeling today?" I have always thought those posters are really limited in terms of the full range of human emotion, so I thought it would be fun to see if Jim could craft me my own "poster" just for fun. I think he did a pretty good job. What do you think?

How are YOU feeling today?

For Mom -- not just on Mother's Day

Mom:  I honor you yesterday, today and every day. 

You embody the strong feminine spirit of motherhood. Because of you, I learned how to share my feelings. I learned that it is ok to cry, and there is no weakness in apologizing. I learned how to sew, to cook and enjoy well-cooked food, how to appreciate art, books and stimulating conversation. How to be opinionated yet empathize with others. How to value and respect other cultures. How to hike and love the outdoors. I developed a passion for learning and questioning, for travel and creating relationships. I learned that it is ok to say no, it is ok to make mistakes, it is ok to say, “I don’t know.” You taught me I could be anything I wanted to be. You showed me your faith, through your words and example. You treated me with respect, like I was worth something, and so I believed I was worth something. You listened to me and continue to take interest my life. You are human and maybe sometimes you feel your own humanity too much. You are vulnerable and you share that vulnerability with all your imperfections. To me, that makes you real and accessible. You are my best friend, and confidant. You are my mother. 

I hope someday to become a mother just like you—to build on your strengths and add my own.

Happy Mother's Day everyday.

Sick (a poem about mental illness)