Friday, February 28, 2014

My Year of Miracles

Day 9

Poetry is Liberating!

At times
when I don't know
why things happen as
they do,
I write
and remember,
not knowing where the words 
will take me.

Poetry forces me to
look deeper into my soul
and to know
that my internal radar
of hope 
and faith
and action
will get me through
the toughest times.

Poetry turns every grief
into gold.
As the poet Rumi put it,
"What fear of loss could we
then possibly have?"

For we are given the
key to each world that we
come to.

My Year of Miracles

Day 8
What Could I Have Done?


This morning I woke up
to a bad memory
of this place.
Years ago, I was mistreated 
at work and sought
legal help by going 
to a lawyer named Hopkins.
After telling him what happened,
he replied,
"Are you bleeding?"
That's how bad it had to be 
before you could go against 
a bully boss.
This was 12 years ago.
The memory still haunts me.
It's another reason I want to
leave this place.
Don't want to be stuck here.
Stuck to this memory.
I am not my memories.
I am my actions.
Can I choose not to think about it?
Yes.
Hopkins was callous.
Entrenched.
Unkind.

God, I'm glad I'm not like that.
I'm better than that.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

I Rise


I rise
to a golden light.
Sunlight.

To peace,
in this space,
in this place.

I rise,
to a new day.



Ukraine

We in the U. S. see the images
of bloodshed,
and riots.
Seventy people killed 
as of February 25th.

It's happening now.
It should end now.

A proud nation,
ancient.
A key cultural center
in the Middle Ages.

You can see the influence of its
art and music in the
Odessa Opera House.

May it always stand proudly
and securely as a symbol of
what Ukraine once was,
and continues to be.

Ukraine, 
may your light 
continue to shine!




My Year of Miracles

Day 8

On my walk today
I saw a herd of 12 
white-tailed deer,
one,
the youngest I think,
stood still
and we stared at each
other...
30 seconds...
1 minute...
before he scampered off.

They will be there again tomorrow,
as will I.

My Year of Miracles

Day 7

The Basics

Getting enough rest,
no stress,
enough
of everything, and 
good enough.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

My Year of Miracles

Day 6

Went to church yesterday 
in 70 degree weather. 
Good fellowship and sharing together... 
The sermon was on James 3.  
  
We prayed for each other. 
For the community.
Fire at Duke University 
displaced students from their dorm.
We prayed that 
they be kept safe and warm
in their temporary homes.


Prayers for Ukraine

Moving images from Ukraine:  a rose stuck in a brick wall, a cross in a priest's bandaged hand:

Saturday, February 22, 2014

My Year of Miracles

Day 5

After a long dry spell with no viewings, the house was shown yesterday.  The interested party is from Maryland.  Of the 11 houses she looked at, mine is at the top of her list.

Another interested party is coming by today.  Keeping my hopes up!

My Year of Miracles

Day 4


The bluebirds are back!
A male and female were 
checking out their new
home.
Bluebirds bring good news.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Today's Irony

This morning I passed
a giant white oak,
the same one I've been
walking by for the past seventeen years.

Only this morning,
A sign was glaring from it,
saying "No Trespassing."
There were two more signs
nailed to the sides of the tree.

Who trespassed to post those
notices?
How odd, that someone trespassed
just to post those hideous
signs,
which might as well have
been obscenities.

My Year of Miracles

Day 3

I've been thinking
about how frustrated I've been
about my house not selling.
So after turning over the
frustration, I got a call
from my realtor.  It will show 
this Friday.

My Year of Miracles

Day Two

For today,
I know that I can turn my problems
over to the care of God
with confidence
that solutions are on the way.

Monday, February 17, 2014

My Year of Miracles

Day One:  I saw a bluebird 
just now.
  In the Native American culture,
 bluebirds are a sign 
of good things to come.  

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Being Grateful for What we Don't Like


My meditation today says to continue practicing gratitude because it turns what we have into enough and more.  So I say thank you for these things even though it feels unnatural to do so, in fact it feels downright weird.  I told my friend about this practice last night.  He tried it.

So I continue the practice today:
1.  Thank you for my house.
2.  Thank you for the church I used to attend.
3.  Thank you for my body.
4.  For my neighborhood and town.
5.  For my mind.  For all my experiences.


Friday, February 14, 2014

Gratitude for Today

1.  For all my experiences
2.  For letting go of past hurts
3.  For my ability to love
4.  For a chance to serve
5.  For opportunities to grow
6.  For not regretting the past
7.  For forgiving the person who stole my rings.
8.  For forgiveness of self.
9.  For a friendship that has endured for 40 years.
10.  For my family.
11. For the thought of becoming a grandmother, which has me grinning from ear to ear.
12. For my church.
13. For patience
14. For hope
15. For justice.
16. For seeing a white-tailed deer run into the woods.
17. For Chris & Elise and the baby in progress.

New Moon, Blue Moon

     Last night there was a new moon, 
as well as a blue moon.  
It's been said that this phase 
of the moon has a powerful 
attraction.
 It is a good time to let go, 
a good time for healing, 
a good time to say yes 
to the possibilities 
of life.

Some Thoughts on Valentine's Day

      Eric Fromm once said:  "Infantile love follows the principle:  I love because I am loved.  Mature love says, "I am loved because I love."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Resumes

Who Am I, anyway?
Am I my resume?
No, much more than that.


THE BIG PICTURE

GOOD WORK OVER THE COURSE OF MY LIFE

1.   My documentary class at VCU of the Francistown Community.

2.   An Oral History of my friend, John Harrawood, who was present at D-Day.  Sent this to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

3.  Story Corps Interview re:  our father's WWI experience.

4.  Center for Documentary Studies:  documentary paper on daddy in WW1.

5.  Civil Rights in Durham -- Faye Bryant Mayo

6.  Carolina Theatre and de-segragation

7.  I wrote a book of Poetry during the Pandemic.

8.  I kept a journal during Covid -- 2 poems have been published from that.