that's mrs. mediocrity to you

::

One Word. Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing
that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word
to be that captures 2012 for you?

::

Oh, this one is easy. That word, the one that best encapsulates 2011, would be chaos.

Somehow, I never got ahead of myself this year. I was always one step behind, always scrambling to catch up. I raced through this year with one eye on the clock and one leg out the door. I stood in my studio and spun around in circles, never quite reaching an edge.

My house has been a mess, all year. I was supposed to lose ten pounds, all year. My garden was a shambles, no, my garden was the definition of chaos, all year. Half of the things I planned to accomplish are still scattered about on the floor of my mind.

2011 was the year of not getting things done.

And yet.

I worked really hard, all year. And considered it a blessing. (Except for the times I complained about how overwhelmed I was, which okay, may have been every day.)

I fed a chickadee, and a nuthatch, and a titmouse out of my hand.

I hurt my knee, had surgery to repair it, and ran again. Also a blessing.

I wrote a lot of poetry and every so often, my heart clicked back into place.

I created and created and created.

I spent a lot of time with a camera growing out of my face.

I looked for tiny bits and pieces of beauty, and I found them, everywhere I looked.

I smiled more. I sought out the things that make me smile. I became easily amused. (It’s not so hard, you should try it.)

I spent an afternoon with my windmills.

I worked really hard, all year. And considered it a blessing.

I took care of my parents. I made lots of soup. I went to my mountains, twice.

I cried about shootings and earthquakes and abuse and intolerance and droughts and floods. And a cat that broke my heart.

When I could, I smiled through my tears.

I learned new things every day. About life, about myself, about the people that I love.

I read several amazing books.

I found a lot of hearts.

Did I say I worked really hard, all year? And considered it a blessing.

And after about 10 months, I opened my arms wide and I embraced the chaos. Gave it a big ol’ bear hug. Welcomed it into my life.

Because secretly, I know how bored I would be without it.

::

I went back and looked up the word I chose last year, the word that encapsulated 2010 and then the word that I wanted to bring with me into 2011. The word I chose, for both, was crazy.

I think I did good, don’t you?

::

And now I’m supposed to choose a word for next year. One to set the tone, to capture what I want 2012 to be all about. I’m a little nervous, considering that I was right on the money with last year’s.

So I’m going to go ahead and choose a word that I know I can handle.

::

Words.

::

And there you have it.

:

:

{reverb11} check it out here

you fold me into
your arms
and i cry
the tears
of existence.

i borrow my
grandmother’s
shoes and
dance in a veil
of moonlight.

you peer into
a dark mirror
and find
nothing but
silence and stars.

i take your hand
and i fill it
with the
beat beat beat
of my heart.

you reach
for the sky and
spill tattered bits
of worn blue velvet
to the ground.

we are all just
questions of hope
wrapped gently
in the cloak
of reality.

::

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this post is part of dVerse poets Open Link Night join us!

::

and my

shadow.

::

::

lately i’m grateful for

anything that makes me smile,

being surrounded by the

people that i love,

and you.

::

wishing you a day filled with things to be grateful for.

no man is an island,

though we try

to stand

on our own

fighting demons

with swords of wit and sarcasm,

we are always bumping into

different versions

of ourselves

and

tripping over the heart

that gets left on

the floor,

broken.

::

::

::

this post is part of dVerse poets Open Link Night join us!

::

reach

for the sky.

::

I stand in the back yard at dawn
and breathe in the color of life.

I am circle, I am square,
I am curve and zig zag.

I hear only sounds of nature,
birds calling,
leaves rustling,
wind whispering.

There are no secrets here,
in this morning.

Everything I see is preparing for winter,
each in its own pragmatic way.

The kiss of frost
kills softly,
softly.

I am hollow.
I am empty.
I am taken.

the moon circus calls

and i curtsy in the corner of contrition

the stars are here to witness

this comedy of error

my pirouette of promise

dance, she calls

and leaves skitter

howl, she cries

and trees bend

i stay up on my toes

spinning

spinning

plié

spinning

free

::

::

::

this post is part of dVerse poets Open Link Night join us!

::

follow your

heart.

::

A lazy day in bed while the sun tickles over my toes.

Five good books and time enough to read them.

A week of perfect temperature sunny days
with nothing to do but garden.

Peace. For me and the world.

A world where doing the right thing is more important
than doing the easy thing.

Enough food for everyone that is hungry.

A house that magically cleans itself every time it gets dirty.

For the moon to hang in that same spot
above Jupiter for just a while longer.

A body that stays in healthy shape.

A world where we all look out for the children.

A life in which hope is not an outdated word.

A world that is kind to animals.

A night outside to sleep beneath a deep blue blanket of stars.

All the people I love, together in one room.

Great wine paired with great conversation.
And dark chocolate.

More kindness. More tolerance. More compassion.

Less illness, both physical and mental.

Responsibility. From everyone, for their actions.

For all the magic and wonder and possibility
that is life to be appreciated.

To be able to appreciate.

::

It’s too much to ask, I know.

All of it.

But I want it just the same.