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My twenties were hard. I was alone and unsure of myself. Feelings of inadequacies at times were overwhelming and simply stated, I just wanted to be loved, to know love, to have someone to share my days (and years) with. As much as I struggled during this time of my life, I was sure of one thing: Moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other just as I did when I walked dusty gravel roads each day to clear my mind and (try!) to keep extra pounds at bay. That has been my mantra over the years and it continues to sustain me. I’ve expanded my self/world view even further with new words of encouragement: RSG, Baby. Reach, Stretch, Grow!

Really, it’s the only choice we have.

Daily Prompt: Continue

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Hearty laugh
Luscious green eyes
Cheekbones, prominent and high
On his beautiful face.

The earthy scent of his skin
Intoxicating in the way
It screams his name
In his touch.

His salt & pepper beard
Molded to the firm
Set of his jaw
Highlighting lips I love to kiss.

His keen sense of humor
His profound observations
His worldview
His respectful nature.

He loves me with a passion
I thought I would never know
He is my life, my light, my soul
I am enamored with this man.

He is my all.

Daily Prompt: Enamored

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Salt & pepper
Tractor trailers
Garden hoses
Barb wire fences
Evening croquet
Flapjacks and honey
Pampas grasses
Queen Anne’s lace
Green galoshes
Dr. Seuss
Red toenails
Auburn hair
Cat-eye glasses

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Gently nurture your beating heart
Grapple with your savage soul
And arrest your doubting demons.

For your utility
Though hidden
Peeks through ragged cracks
Seeking the light
And comfort of a thousand suns.

Pay your dues
If you must
But trumpet your goodness
Your kindness and your own glories
As deserved as any other’s

Perhaps more so because
You have suffered in silence
For far too long.
Go now and bask in your worth.
Those dark corners of quiet
Will remain ever so.

Daily Prompt: Homage

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Earlier this summer I joined a writer’s group. We meet every week at Barnes & Noble where each person is free to share something they’ve written whether it be poetry, a short story, flash fiction or the latest chapter in a novel in progress. Surprisingly, poetry is something I’ve become drawn to, an unusual development in that I’ve never really taken an interest in it before now. One of our ‘tribe’ members is well versed (sorry, couldn’t resist!) in haiku so I thought I’d give it a try myself.

When I get home from these congregations, I’m usually too wired to sleep. Ideas, words and phrases flood my brain and I take pen to paper to gather my thoughts. Last night I shared some of these haikus with the group only to learn what I’d written weren’t technically haikus. Haiku, also called nature or seasonal haiku, is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three lines of five, seven and five syllables, is usually written in the present tense and focuses on nature. What I learned is that what I’d originally called my ‘late night haikus’ were similar but identified instead as ‘human’ haiku, a form of verse that only references some aspect of human nature or emotions. They differ from nature haikus in that there are no references to the natural world.

Google defines senryu as “a poem, structurally similar to haiku, that highlights the foibles of human nature, usually in a humorous or satiric way”.

So, I know something now that I hadn’t known before – a good day yesterday, therefore! Here are my examples of this newly discovered form of poetry: the senryu. Each is a distinct verse, there is no correlation of one to the other; they are just six separate ‘human’ haikus. I hope you will enjoy them, keeping in mind these are my first attempts! 🙂

Hot/cold mermaid mugs
Seattle-based elixirs
Free wifi: Drink up!

Shallow depth of field
Two point eight aperture wide
Sweet bokeh delight.

Gifted in sheer pink
Lacy thongs, sequined brassiere
For whose enjoyment?

Elongated nails
Siren red with flecks of gold
Corrupted by grief.

Desires yet flaming
Stifled by heat and fatigue
Yearn for cooler nights.

Fleecy pajamas
Tunic top, wide-legged bottoms
Tangling good night’s sleep.

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The weight and the heft, the lightness and the light, the beauty of language. I want my words and thoughts, my writing and photography, my laughter, my being, what I strive for and what I strive to be to ooze with the power, the magic, the intuition of words. Those that are written, those that are sung and spoken, words that are thought and felt and inspired. To appreciate the glory and cleverness of others’ words and to instill words of my own with simplicity and grandness.

I am on a mission.

Daily Prompt: Ooze

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I woke yesterday morning to the stirring, welcome sounds of a late summer storm. My trees and grass and flowers were, I’m sure, quite grateful as it’s been a rather hot, dry season here in the Heartland. Added bonus: I didn’t have to water my container plants as Mother Nature gloriously provided sustenance for the day! Thanking her for that…

We watched CBS Sunday Morning with hot drinks at hand (coffee for Bill, tea for me), always a soothing combination. After showering and making ourselves presentable, we drove to The Jordan House, a local historical site I’ve been wanting to visit for some time now. We were not disappointed. The home and its furnishings, its ode to the history of both the Valley Junction area of West Des Moines and the role it played in the Underground Railroad and our lively and engaging tour guide satisfied my eagerness to see this place, finally, for myself.

After a brief Starbucks pit stop – yes, more hot beverages – we returned home. I threw in a load of laundry while Bill resumed self-tutorials on learning Lightroom, a new tool I think I will need to employ as well. With just a few clicks and minor adjustments, photos really POP and without some of that overdone post-processing I see far too often with some photos on Facebook and elsewhere. A little sure goes a long way!

My sister texted me to say she had some sweet corn and zucchini if I was interested so I drove over and spent some time visiting with her and her husband. She has several chickens – love this handsome fella! – and they are always fun to watch.

In addition to the zucchini and corn, she gifted me with okra and green beans. I’ve never had okra before and welcome recipe suggestions. Someone on Facebook strongly advised against steaming it. Duly noted!

I was pleased to discover when I got home that the books I’d ordered from Amazon had arrived. The package was sitting in the chair by the front door. It seems strange to me that deliveries are made on Sundays – this is the second time this has happened – but I’m not complaining. More books to read – my winter will runneth over!

We rounded out our day catching up on the results of last week’s America’s Got Talent, our annual summer TV fare, but not before enjoying sissy’s sweet corn for supper and cranberry-oatmeal cookies I’d baked – fresh from the oven!

Yes. It was a good day. Nothing fancy, nothing ‘wow’. Just – nice. Weekends and life, just the way I like it.