tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42355706119701351212024-03-05T00:00:45.269-08:00The Red Dress ConversationsThe Red Dress Conversationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662777370328604352noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-87790799266156904272019-11-11T05:15:00.001-08:002019-11-11T05:15:05.858-08:00Angry women scare me<br />
a hard right punch takes me off guard<br />
i duck best I can<br />
but i can never see it coming<br />
<br />
the acid in their stomachs rises to their mouths<br />
and translates into poison<br />
because they need, so badly, to spit<br />
making this whole garden look like compost.<br />
<br />
shit's just shit<br />
i think<br />
but more than anything i want the sun to burn<br />
off all the ugly,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
so stuff can grow<br />
<br />
it's the light i count on<br />
and once my feet get warm<br />
it's just a matter of small time<br />
until my ears burn.<br />
<br />CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-37475068408319616482019-02-27T18:18:00.002-08:002019-02-27T18:18:54.672-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFf4RyqA7IPVo8-glUIpR3vcMmeEz0FxqEWOrXTj26kKzCa-ILOJfqD-D9Dd-JCRwGf-KY8un3gMhlPeBJtnlnVxpSnduTKu8aYaWx12gdNmgvBb61Zuqmii7RPuSnWyNZ-F8q5iYhNY/s1600/selfie+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFf4RyqA7IPVo8-glUIpR3vcMmeEz0FxqEWOrXTj26kKzCa-ILOJfqD-D9Dd-JCRwGf-KY8un3gMhlPeBJtnlnVxpSnduTKu8aYaWx12gdNmgvBb61Zuqmii7RPuSnWyNZ-F8q5iYhNY/s320/selfie+1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The more I say, "I am here,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am present"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the more the target is fixed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Who knew that when I decided to stand still</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it was an agreement to accept the angst of the aggrieved?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A disclaimer is needed, I set myself up, cried out</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Bring it on!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thinking I was ready</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When all I wanted was to feel my feet</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
firmly on the ground</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and hear the quiet of my breathing as I drifted off each night</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
satisfied that each day was filled </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with love and the intent to do good.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-12070443210529459282019-02-14T21:25:00.003-08:002019-02-14T21:31:26.146-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNtyxQQsPz2s3m8PMNCxV1yMMgxJveZqodPdH-60Lcbs9ehvVHk3Oroq5ey0YDjiB4KWVfmj22tVR2MMojZkq7Gef8GpcHMBBbGt3_x1sJBWmZ3ipCnCJECYuV8ECW4-mR3kW3a56hOU/s1600/just+love.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNtyxQQsPz2s3m8PMNCxV1yMMgxJveZqodPdH-60Lcbs9ehvVHk3Oroq5ey0YDjiB4KWVfmj22tVR2MMojZkq7Gef8GpcHMBBbGt3_x1sJBWmZ3ipCnCJECYuV8ECW4-mR3kW3a56hOU/s320/just+love.JPG" width="244" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On this sacred day you joked about the flower salesman at the ski lodge who said $39 when you asked about the cost of his bouquet</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You said, "I'll just give her the money"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and forgot that my mother died today</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and I was alone while you were skiing under brilliant skies, blue and sunny.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I sat on the deck and watched a hawk diving and squawking while crows chased</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it under the same sky</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The blue was the gift</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the light was the warmth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and memory was its own embrace</div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-41522863884753593622019-02-14T21:09:00.003-08:002019-02-14T21:09:44.882-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RL4XtxX0uONsAj03HrsHYU4ls9E2s24mgvAnSzlCbcZgjvQMaBao7xQaKC0pYeerpKPJlSH1_eWmsx0K9vwmQ1PEfZn71_hXyLcJlzX34Cp1WBcWTNN2QP28_tFI4qTGNfiLNGLQu-U/s1600/muted+ride+home.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="968" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RL4XtxX0uONsAj03HrsHYU4ls9E2s24mgvAnSzlCbcZgjvQMaBao7xQaKC0pYeerpKPJlSH1_eWmsx0K9vwmQ1PEfZn71_hXyLcJlzX34Cp1WBcWTNN2QP28_tFI4qTGNfiLNGLQu-U/s320/muted+ride+home.JPG" width="193" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We Accept This Time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as comfort</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a place to reside</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and move forward with routines</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
created in each day</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We no longer discuss the importance</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of time (at my request), rather, we take for granted that each day</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
will rise and fall with a leg draped over a hip</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
snuffly snores when pushed to the side</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taking for granted the pounding heart beside us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that skips in dreams</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
pretends not to wander</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or wonder</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But we never forget</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What came before</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Potent and passionate</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Breathless</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Fleshy and fearless</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and that was before we reached the stairs.</div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-61530182177948662642018-11-04T18:07:00.000-08:002018-11-04T18:07:55.950-08:00<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9KCC-UJt8zThgCiruydVMpkfzUUjfOLr4HpP04NQ1Mq68ZfjLC4sFil5gBixUQwPalgugRuvheJ_CSzPsIuL6ZG-LjcgX72W8BWyba0BIYQbYxh0F8-hP8DAVNOIFUrGVTjOBTKKV20/s1600/swimmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9KCC-UJt8zThgCiruydVMpkfzUUjfOLr4HpP04NQ1Mq68ZfjLC4sFil5gBixUQwPalgugRuvheJ_CSzPsIuL6ZG-LjcgX72W8BWyba0BIYQbYxh0F8-hP8DAVNOIFUrGVTjOBTKKV20/s320/swimmy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our new normal is angst and recovery</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Frantic moments</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Breath held while one affliction or another overcomes us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Briefly</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We don't really panic, rather, we remain poised</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Make jokes en route to our diagnosis</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
which is minimized by the professionals in response to</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
our ability to make jokes in the first place</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They love our banter, the disguise for fear that one thread pulled will unravel</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
our comfort</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The insulation, which is our nights settling in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The haze that wraps around us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We quietly trip over our toes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and if we are lucky</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
we break the fall surrounded by loved ones who choose to look away.</div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-75609310189940705562018-01-09T19:04:00.001-08:002018-01-10T08:45:41.016-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL9SNwH_VSpjgdOfrazekRmRzsgf1ty77_bHdIC2o6LOVDBMaQuHxF8gkQMbCBpYsDOPMSx63DXe_vE2KxIQWfmiHHvc5eQk41wFE0_fhKJmS8cJy8LMGJnqKFUGY5bBHDI_12jaUeY4/s1600/_20170314_190930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL9SNwH_VSpjgdOfrazekRmRzsgf1ty77_bHdIC2o6LOVDBMaQuHxF8gkQMbCBpYsDOPMSx63DXe_vE2KxIQWfmiHHvc5eQk41wFE0_fhKJmS8cJy8LMGJnqKFUGY5bBHDI_12jaUeY4/s320/_20170314_190930.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>this winter</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>chill has set in</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>we look for warmth where we can find it</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>curled up on the sofa with thick socks</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and hot tea</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>something to read </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>words to roam over</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>distracted by the settling</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>of our creaking house</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>that moans with its subtle moves</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>the fire in the furnace needs tending</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>but it's worth the effort </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>to heat these wide boards</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>with creases filled with dust</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and the dribbles </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>that move over them</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>they drink the lives that settle in</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and hear the laughter and angst</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>accept the daily clamor</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and scattered mismatched rugs</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>we think of stews and soups and pies that</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>sit heavy in our bellies</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>with beef and broths</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>chops from the local butcher</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>peppered, seared</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>absorbing the juices</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>capered and lemony</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>gatherings at the wide table</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>local talk and plans for warmer days</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or places</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>deep and longer sleep</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>between flannel sheets</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and heavy quilts</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>always with a window open</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>to smell the dark and the moon</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>rising in clear skies sparkled with stars</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>that wink</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>sometimes I walk outside and stand in my stockinged feet</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and just breathe this valley </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>wood smoke</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and generations </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>settle in </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>light snow falls</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and there is no sound</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>not even a shoosh</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>when it touches the ground</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-54633188630008779852017-06-13T19:21:00.000-07:002017-06-13T19:24:00.911-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The bird that swooped down in front of the car ahead of me the other day didn't stand a chance</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My first impulse was to swerve</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All I saw was tangled black and white matted feathers dropping in a straight line</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I felt a responsibility to it</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But before I could fully brake I wondered, "What?"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Could I see myself rescuing this tattered pile, scooping it up in my hands and trying to sort out a place to put it in my car that would allow it to be unencumbered, to possibly fly once it got its bearings and shook off the shock of impact?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There was no place to pull over and my head was already filled with what was left of a day</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Conversations filled with riddles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Plenty of placating ( a type of rescuing for sure)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There was nothing there when I looked in the rear view mirror which was a relief</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and the car in front was long gone.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-82230969151155419612017-02-14T15:26:00.000-08:002017-02-14T17:04:45.265-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to believe that Grammy left this world nine years
ago, today. I remember hearing the news and to keep from crying, I laughed instead, thinking. ‘She always had a sense of humor.’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having a birthday that falls three days after Valentine’s
Day, it as though there’s a time stamp engraved into my memory. I turned
twenty-five the day of her funeral, and it was an experience which ultimately
changed the course of my life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After her passing, I swore I would be more thoughtful with the
choices I made. Losing her made me realize that life was way too short to not
always be pursuing the things that bring me joy. My grandmother, without her
ever knowing her influence, taught me to take risks and to be unapologetic when
it comes to protecting the things that mean the most. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My heart, for example, was a topic that was of much concern
to her, as I grew from a child, into a teenager, and later a young woman. Like
any motherly figure, she wanted to be sure I had a person in my life who would
cherish my heart. Part of her too, I’m sure, was always afraid of that young
man who would eventually break my heart. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I wish I could share with her today is that even though
I did at times know what a broken heart felt like, it was the strength she
instilled in me that helped me to keep on. And in times of utter doubt, she was
always the guiding force that gave me faith. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know beyond anything that she would’ve adored my partner
Nick. A man so kind and gentle with my heart, I sometimes like to think he was
the man she imagined for me so long ago, when I was just a giggling little
girl. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As she requested at the end of her
life, we spread her ashes in Silver Lake; a place where our family loves to spend
time in the summers. Though she hated knowing there would be so much she would
miss, what brought her peace was that her spirit would inhabit a place we would
often return to, and that in a way, she would always be right there with us
when we would go for a swim or have a picnic. That’s why when Nick and I
decided to get married, we couldn’t think of a better place to have our
ceremony than Silver Lake.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It will be such an honor to marry my
partner and friend this July, surrounded by our closest loved ones. And I know
my grandmother will certainly be smiling upon us that day with her own
blessings...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Valentine's Day, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Norma Lenore.</div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Sarah E. Caouettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01062469706881604412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-47957379730106085242016-12-28T06:34:00.002-08:002016-12-28T07:47:00.572-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Monday's Walk</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am buried under layers </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sweater, neck warmer, vest</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
wool and warm</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thick socks squeeze my ankles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
inside my gray boots laced up to the knee</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with soggy mittens I paw at my</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ill fitting cap</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
stretched out, misshapen and slipping over one eye then the other</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We walk fast through the snow crunching through the top layer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Up hill and winded</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I grab hold of lean trees </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pissing and moaning under my breath that I just want to take a walk</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Branches swack my head as you push through the growth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ahead of me </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
wet whips with clinging leaves or stunted limbs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am self conscious of how often I need to stop</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
because my legs get ragged feel like they are flapping</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The town gets smaller</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
white and brick houses get blurry the church steeple and court house well below us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the smell of pine lots and wood fire smoke spouting from chimneys in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
slow motion then held in the crisp air that fogs with our breath </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and steams from sweat</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sometimes we find ourselves on</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
paths well worn</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tracked by deer and skittering voles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We guess that some are made by squirrels</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Rabbits are easier, their hind legs dragging give them away</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We take just a moment to look out before heading</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
down, heels first through ledges made deeper by fallen trees</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
delicate dance so as not to get tangled</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
we make our way</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
along the river where the water rushes under</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
crusty mounds, like fragile glass </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
delicate swirls around glazed rocks</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mist rises</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then up and over the bank to the wooden foot bridge</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with snow piled on the sides and rails</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It falls silently, slowly </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with each step and vibration</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We make our way to the ball field which is untouched, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a pale quilt</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
smooth with soft snow shooshing across</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
what is frozen</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
once across</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
we slip out of our snowshoes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to walk home on a familiar road</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
over the crumbling bridge that rumbles when</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the log trucks roll by</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
we wave back at friendly strangers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and neighbors</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
under a late day sky </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
washed in grays and blues</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
buttery light fades </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
from our quiet valley</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-80331286729340145112016-12-07T17:16:00.000-08:002016-12-07T17:19:41.260-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1AX5zbgQXH7PT-rMIgpQ6Scb0SDFwO0meEp3FCaEbt6dMOoET7UcP74qC118GGVCz3nCOdUGzA5s8AeRRHNjJ-UoSkLwEz7ZNSiUX6fO7RdIyXWQ9zYPhfaUAVVj6wNpY2-IhqOjvro/s1600/DSCF4266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1AX5zbgQXH7PT-rMIgpQ6Scb0SDFwO0meEp3FCaEbt6dMOoET7UcP74qC118GGVCz3nCOdUGzA5s8AeRRHNjJ-UoSkLwEz7ZNSiUX6fO7RdIyXWQ9zYPhfaUAVVj6wNpY2-IhqOjvro/s320/DSCF4266.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is winter</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not because the air is colder,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">or the days shorter,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> and</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the morning commute slower</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and slippery,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sloshing on single lane roads,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in early gray, blue light that looks like the entrance to heaven</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">when straight rays reach from the heavy clouds</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and I feel I should say an "Amen" and take a moment to ask for direction for the day</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I pray for patience and understanding</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and the right words while</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">heading due north</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">behind yellow school buses</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and weighted pick ups with</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">logs shifting side to side</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">with each bend in the road</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">carefully, and old drivers heading to their morning appointments</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cigarette smoke swirling from the crack in the window</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">slow creaking neck turns side to side</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">merciless braking</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">then end of day</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">quieter, smoother ride home under silhouettes of creaking trees</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wild turkeys huddled on the new crunchy snow the ground</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">is not quite ready to receive</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I shiver just looking at them</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">dark and lost</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once home</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">opening the door</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to the wood heat blast and the smell of </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">bacon cooked late morning</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">after Tim's routine of coffee and reading,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">correspondence</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and a handful of vitamins</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lights on </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and changing clothes fast</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">tugging on boots</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wrapping our necks</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for a walk </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">catching the last light from the top of the village,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">washes of pale yellow light and gray that soften my heart</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">which is sometimes heavy from the day</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">our fingers twist together through wool gloves</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">as we look out, trying to</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">catch our breath</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in the night air</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-44150761478356724082016-12-06T19:48:00.005-08:002016-12-07T17:21:28.807-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaBmPtcvHHwO16OxpO4wj2Cn-svsBMhrlzTr0tykD0jXaFoExsRdltUj8r26PYDQGrPrbfQf1zFh9XhrcJJp0dokoMxqO2zFLV5yiBXTqxWXUcONoBSU7WiyCPMBT3mE9Cme1IP7xhqQ/s1600/DSCN0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaBmPtcvHHwO16OxpO4wj2Cn-svsBMhrlzTr0tykD0jXaFoExsRdltUj8r26PYDQGrPrbfQf1zFh9XhrcJJp0dokoMxqO2zFLV5yiBXTqxWXUcONoBSU7WiyCPMBT3mE9Cme1IP7xhqQ/s320/DSCN0743.JPG" width="305" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am the mother of three daughters</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Who astonish me at every turn</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They are smart and poised</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
filled with joy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and fearlessness</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they amaze me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
all the time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Take my breath away</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with the art they create</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They are writers and painters</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
photographers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
comedians</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
runners</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
joggers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
yogis</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
teachers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
dancers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
God, how they love to dance</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
every day people</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
grounded by their experiences</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
hard workers, such freakin' hard workers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
introspective and with extraordinary perspective</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
journeying forward </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
committed to doing good things</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
acknowledging others who struggle</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
looking them clear in the eye</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and reaching out to lift up</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
being kind and thoughtful</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
loving their lives</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
appreciative of the gifts that surround them to include </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
love</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
big love</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh my I am so proud to be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
your mother</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so pleased to know such lovely women</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
love love love holdng your hands<br />
when we walk together.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-73889297221313107142016-04-09T21:04:00.001-07:002016-04-09T21:04:30.973-07:00It's All Uphill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtdHoWpRJUUB6kBZiMHvx1y6q53CnBDkTC_tvUBRHeYvYrcU7ltJBY44h3xZRQvUsIYVc5nz443M0tdvD6NJa8SL_VzzKVoD9JE9QsttCnXTobNy6toFRDSfhmqSeTGwDoMqJHjv_hJc/s1600/DSCN0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtdHoWpRJUUB6kBZiMHvx1y6q53CnBDkTC_tvUBRHeYvYrcU7ltJBY44h3xZRQvUsIYVc5nz443M0tdvD6NJa8SL_VzzKVoD9JE9QsttCnXTobNy6toFRDSfhmqSeTGwDoMqJHjv_hJc/s320/DSCN0987.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
when I lose my footing I understand it is a reminder</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to find the right shoes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
aimless and wandering is fine if you have boots</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or a paddle to move through water pushed by wind</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it becomes important to pay attention</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to the moon's rising</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
long shadows cast</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so people can see you coming</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or going</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it's hard to know what sound to make</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
when you are just about to pass them.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-37943745226315065862016-03-21T19:15:00.000-07:002016-03-21T19:15:44.982-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCKCJWnJZYR9O_5vcvLx_cn6uAygmyX-uUYHEV7XIc_Gg8ro3nwsFFdi709JbHBK8aTFK7l0qytTUMQYblj8l82O8xEH6Y_OehSfSdoGumKKuWZo_DXIfPYFi92jMAQ2NmzxmXJnkHNQ/s1600/DSCF4431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCKCJWnJZYR9O_5vcvLx_cn6uAygmyX-uUYHEV7XIc_Gg8ro3nwsFFdi709JbHBK8aTFK7l0qytTUMQYblj8l82O8xEH6Y_OehSfSdoGumKKuWZo_DXIfPYFi92jMAQ2NmzxmXJnkHNQ/s320/DSCF4431.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Place</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There was a stream I loved to walk into</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cold water screaming at my ankles, then calves...black rubber tube... I laid back in its welcome circle warmed by the sun</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Extended my legs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and said hello to the big blue sky that made me dizzy with clouds that floated by</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not sure which of us was moving faster</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Water surface like keen jeweled light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tip toeing then dancing comfortably to its own secret rhythm</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ordered by wind and melt then sent from far away</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bumping from rock to mossy rock</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pushing off from deeper sides, rich smells of soil sliding from the edge</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and lush sweet moss</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Water the color of leaves and tree roots breaking down</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Rich glowing amber </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Around the bend small gray birds lift up when they feel me coming and water follows from their wings</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a new stream caught in exquisite light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and a moment</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that settled inside me </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and remains</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-8359113838423680352016-03-04T19:00:00.001-08:002016-03-04T19:04:58.073-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>This Likeness</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>This Purpose</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You told me that you were afraid that your life was not on schedule</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">That the course was not clear</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You could not picture yourself in a place</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I listened to your worries but</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I know I never had them, until I had daughters, because I let myself drift along until I bumped into you,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I was young then and my heart was open</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You took it over from the moment I knew you were there, resting and growing in my belly</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">waiting for your time to arrive in my arms</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> and now I want so badly to tell you how wonderful it is</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">to have come to this place and time when each day is recognized as a gift</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">not always wrapped neatly</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sometimes the hands that hold it ache or tremor</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Not just from angst or anticipation</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mostly my breath is taken away</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">By the measure of who you have each become</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Like it or not</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The purpose of this life was to bear witness</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">to possibility</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">and not just my own.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-56693638911380512362016-01-22T18:34:00.000-08:002016-01-22T18:34:45.403-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay_P2VHaV0olBwnBUkd0yXH2GBYEV8v1f5j-ouxlknK-Ev3g9W2zaVAucyZnwi9PCdmEnDOsuvcO1PKKdeVa4QyqzmDMDzEli5LEro3ODMTkEkc1wiYXe4OuW6SCE5Uyy0cze8YSwYLo/s1600/what+remains+of+summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay_P2VHaV0olBwnBUkd0yXH2GBYEV8v1f5j-ouxlknK-Ev3g9W2zaVAucyZnwi9PCdmEnDOsuvcO1PKKdeVa4QyqzmDMDzEli5LEro3ODMTkEkc1wiYXe4OuW6SCE5Uyy0cze8YSwYLo/s320/what+remains+of+summer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I dive into the water several nights per week</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I know I am there for quiet and to hear myself breath</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
water warming against my skin with each</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
awkward stroke</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
changing it up side to side, front to back</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
dragging myself across the surface</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
while the bored lifeguard flicks himself awake</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He avoids eye contact and it's okay with me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I just wish I were a better swimmer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For fun I envision myself as a butterfly </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not panicked when I close my eyes and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
bump into the cool blue sides</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
, thinking I will feel the water better that way</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am determined</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To propel myself forward</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Making time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
against that aimless clock with the giant hand that clucks with each move</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
never set for swimmers like me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
who refuse to wear a rubber cap</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or goggles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sometimes floating</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Just because I can</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-42578857644112407952015-12-30T21:03:00.000-08:002015-12-31T06:08:20.376-08:00Another Year of What is Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is something </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">That I cannot explain</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I only know that the force of it reminds me to say, "<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Thank you</i></span>"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQRAmxA1a9P9gwsP35qxKbyBBIi2ucy_vtZuAvdg9pD39g8CTClL7ujck-9tKL_6aRJ8SI2AzjvLKJWsajY1pQt8ftn_paVO-LMuWdm8-jsna3VXDJhB_fje_Jzag7tVhKOtgPftQVuI/s1600/DSCN0748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQRAmxA1a9P9gwsP35qxKbyBBIi2ucy_vtZuAvdg9pD39g8CTClL7ujck-9tKL_6aRJ8SI2AzjvLKJWsajY1pQt8ftn_paVO-LMuWdm8-jsna3VXDJhB_fje_Jzag7tVhKOtgPftQVuI/s320/DSCN0748.JPG" width="253" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Daily.</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The passing of time does not diminish the cause of my heart,</span></div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Which is to love.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With every single fiber of my being.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-82768542225137657982015-12-14T19:27:00.002-08:002015-12-14T19:27:48.358-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am not an anchor</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but a buoy<br />
Flopping and bouncing with wind<br />
and waves<br />
Knowing this boat<br />
needs to drift sometimes<br />
hug a shore<br />
break loose<br />
then submit to tides<br />
and seaweed, wet boots, soggy blankets<br />
matted, twisted hair at the nape of my neck<br />
Hard rowing towards horizons and inlets<br />
then rest<br />
Prone to diving in without knowing how deep<br />
the water is or how cold<br />
Joking that I only feel one side<br />
fretting about the other giving out<br />
Calling out to my god when the wind whispers<br />
then howls so my voice disappears and I wonder<br />
from deep within me<br />
which prayers have been heard.</div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-56949303981926411062015-12-02T15:44:00.001-08:002015-12-02T16:10:04.991-08:00Snapshot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Big skies call me and I dream of</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">landscapes whizzing by with the shutter wide open</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My heart thumping like a hesitant drummer</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I never wonder what is at the end of the journey</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> It's what fills the landscape as I move through changing scenes:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tall matted grass</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Broad fields with tractor lines and baled hay</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tiny flowers in the foreground I squint to see and cannot name</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Gray brown buildings with slack boards, light streaming through</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Slanted shifting shadows</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes a rusted tractor with weedy tendrils woven through its wheels</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">holding it in place</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">or</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dense woods with speckled sun that tiptoes through</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Taut, mossy trunks holding thick boughs with wide leaves </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bend over time</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and dead, dried trees with creaking branches that reach like old men</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> pointing their arthritic fingers toward the sky, perhaps unwilling</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to quit, hoping that the light and drenching rain</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">will keep them awake just a little longer</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-36771192809988849232015-11-16T17:57:00.002-08:002015-11-16T18:03:49.761-08:00In Observance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3yjwDWNM7PyRrthWrDOFay2ur7E_zMFhHZ6nG0i5B8LDBe5JDteIaMdsIlOSZgFKnF4KKHs_c2HG-LzqIISBoflWoGBopbXtFPFQgpInTWe8i7xkJtlI67XS5pNHHscKpOqztqVlU6k/s1600/DSCN0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3yjwDWNM7PyRrthWrDOFay2ur7E_zMFhHZ6nG0i5B8LDBe5JDteIaMdsIlOSZgFKnF4KKHs_c2HG-LzqIISBoflWoGBopbXtFPFQgpInTWe8i7xkJtlI67XS5pNHHscKpOqztqVlU6k/s320/DSCN0900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>In Observance</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes life calls upon us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to give more than we think we can</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There are perils we cannot anticipate</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The suffering of others which we can choose to watch from the sidelines</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or reach out despite our indifference</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the inconvenience of disrupting a day with full intentions</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
laundry lists (literally) best deals, produce markets busting at the seams with culturally diverse multi colored options, fruits we have not bitten</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
even though we wrap our fingers around them, smell them,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
are tempted by them</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and allow the most important parts, the sweetest, to slip through</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
drip on our toes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
cause our feet to stick</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
make a mess of the carpet</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But, most curious, we refuse to plant them in our gardens.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-3766746840505268502015-11-02T17:15:00.001-08:002015-11-02T18:40:45.749-08:00I Will Not Make Everyone Happy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvjpa_wa05wyngIqbA_R39aGF18p407Bc_wX1MD2l3hahfp3rF8a_qY3JC_VKbgEdmUyCvU_pvSF3v-yTZ0524MLAgI4SC-x0bU6kwNuIpmM2BE8Tq6uzUZHU-XO-c0N-ZaNKdw_BwIY/s1600/DSCN1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvjpa_wa05wyngIqbA_R39aGF18p407Bc_wX1MD2l3hahfp3rF8a_qY3JC_VKbgEdmUyCvU_pvSF3v-yTZ0524MLAgI4SC-x0bU6kwNuIpmM2BE8Tq6uzUZHU-XO-c0N-ZaNKdw_BwIY/s320/DSCN1022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I Will Not Make Everyone Happy</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Not today or tomorrow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I will not always intuit what others need</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I will trip over my words and my feelings</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Seem obtuse</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And sometimes cold</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hard to reach or understand</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and might easily tear up when asked what's going on</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I won't always have an answer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
because life gets busy and there are often competing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
calamities</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that captivate me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and quiet spots that deserve my attention too</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
shifting light and changing seasons</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I will wear clothing that does not match </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
just because I didn't have to iron it in the morning</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and it will feel right when I put it on in the faint light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that calls to me long before the alarm sounds</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
after restless nights</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or deep sleeps</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When I wake up in the dark I almost always look out at the night sky</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sometimes I even walk out on my back porch with bare feet and drag wet leaves inside</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
after hoping to see a star dropping, soft light tails behind it </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
because that would be lucky, right?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And a wish could be made</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that I could be all things</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
steady and right</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
available</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
earnest and honest</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
always kind in my thoughts and deeds</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my words could be pure and my</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
feet would be planted</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
grounded</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Instead I become afraid</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that I am coming up short somehow</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not strong enough or</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
determined and steady handed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Indecisive</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Shifting foot to foot</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
With vision blurred</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
as I fix on a horizon, light to dark and back again</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and lose my way when there is no moon to guide me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
awkward and sullen dragging bags filled with what has been avoided</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mismatched socks and dusty remnants, self conscious</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
all distractions </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I will let you down from time to time, no doubt.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And there is no sorry that will make it right</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All I know to do is to keep moving forward,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
reach out open handed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
step, sometimes stomp</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
run hard and fast, walk lightly, quietly, tip toe</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and breathe</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and hope that you will breathe with me.<br />
Please breathe with me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-85584140731505477792015-06-17T21:09:00.003-07:002015-06-18T10:39:06.182-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAatbUQR2SQA5BExFvx4mu_R6FoBDXoswyR-7Da3TUP8e2a8CtFJAnm43kGjVWTC2NLCCgQSjsQJzqxsXEk4JQnn3D9Tb_2IvCzq_HCWG4TX0TSNNbsVaPBL2ccbI9W0UTGYnKYxhMJw/s1600/DSCF0933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAatbUQR2SQA5BExFvx4mu_R6FoBDXoswyR-7Da3TUP8e2a8CtFJAnm43kGjVWTC2NLCCgQSjsQJzqxsXEk4JQnn3D9Tb_2IvCzq_HCWG4TX0TSNNbsVaPBL2ccbI9W0UTGYnKYxhMJw/s320/DSCF0933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Dear Molly</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am not sure how many miles you have run or traveled in twenty five years my sweet daughter, but one thing I know for sure, is that you are moving towards something important. You have worked hard and waited patiently for your turn at the table and all you ever talk about is what you plan to give, what you hope to contribute to this planet and to others.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Your footprint has been both gentle and important. I am not sure that you know or understand the power of your presence in the lives of others. You have brought me to tears with laughter with your take on life, what is odd and curious about human behavior, including my own. You remind me not to take myself so seriously. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You came into this life as the surviving Gemini, a twin, strong and hearty, always walking your own path, independent and fierce, making clear that no one else would define you. You are fearless in your determination and I am in awe of your strength and courage. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The ground work has been laid. You know that when you run it requires one foot in front of the next and that the path behind you, all the knots, twisted roots, elements that greet you when you change elevation, are part of the course, intended to prepare you for what is to come. And what is to come will be good. This life, your life, will continue to be rich as you learn what is possible in yourself and others. And you will breathe easy, no matter how high the mountain. The gift is not necessarily the coast down nor the view from the top. It's each moment that makes up the journey, the people you meet along the way, glorious intersections with others wiser than ourselves, the quiet that settles in whether you are still or moving, paying attention to each breath, peace that comes with understanding,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
and the grace to accept it all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Happy Birthday Beauty. I am celebrating your birth. I am proud to be your mother, pleased that you chose me.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I love you.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Madre</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-88037401076567459372015-05-23T20:43:00.000-07:002015-05-23T20:46:13.641-07:00Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-L5GhXOfsGVAezEHvC5IrARhsTF4VNykxrgifjyanRHbWBqP-NsE8NAbadCiZw0XFk29CGqalrOGmr3rdgoVNcurnXYM7J7FniFwHC6oZoc_qtL76ut47iXkGWvV5VW59ma5F3YczEcQ/s1600/DSCN0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-L5GhXOfsGVAezEHvC5IrARhsTF4VNykxrgifjyanRHbWBqP-NsE8NAbadCiZw0XFk29CGqalrOGmr3rdgoVNcurnXYM7J7FniFwHC6oZoc_qtL76ut47iXkGWvV5VW59ma5F3YczEcQ/s320/DSCN0647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Up</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I look to the sky for answers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At night stars blink back and sometimes I think I can hear them </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Even though they offer no grande perspective</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That's been saved for the moon</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with its mysterious haze that buzzes </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whispers to me in a voice that I need to lean into</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and it drops down on my shoulders like a</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
weighted blanket that I drag through the damp yard</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
wearing flip flops, a hopeful garment after a long winter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The smell stays with me</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
worms and rich, composting soil</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Peepers hang on the edge, chip chirping, cacophonous</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and panicked by unpredictable chills</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They ignore the fact that morning will come</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with buttered sky</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Seen through mottled windows</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
splashed by big truck traffic</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and dust</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
kicked up </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
from a gritty winter road.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Blue shows up just when it seems it won't</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
after fog and din</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Some big creature that insists on rolling through this valley</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
right in front of the sun</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and light that</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
certainly lands on my face</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and hands stretched out greet it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-51607652225395160932015-03-30T19:14:00.002-07:002015-03-30T19:27:36.512-07:00I am Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XqNrBO5DLLqI53VUFr1Y14-2j-TToUU-gOZlZYtinG2sdApgaFFdZ-gWiesKHmH2T72MQO0YWzsUyliZX1r0uxpyelQqmBLL0wKgGSxzToZbTVhEWml4Qy6yjgh6aSUIJVsYOpQY9rg/s1600/more+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XqNrBO5DLLqI53VUFr1Y14-2j-TToUU-gOZlZYtinG2sdApgaFFdZ-gWiesKHmH2T72MQO0YWzsUyliZX1r0uxpyelQqmBLL0wKgGSxzToZbTVhEWml4Qy6yjgh6aSUIJVsYOpQY9rg/s1600/more+home.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I Am Home</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's the warm floors on the coldest nights </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Furnace thrums</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No cold air seeping through the corners</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I sleep with the windows open</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so I can hear the sound of the stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
rain falling</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
snow shooshing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
wind cracking vulnerable branches</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the moon humming</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and cars passing through town</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
kicking up gravel</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At the end of the day, I come in through the mudroom and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
bright red back door with a glossy finish</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to a kitchen with the smell of coffee and herbs, sometimes bacon</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
when Tim treats himself to a diner breakfast</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This place with overstuffed bookcases</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pictures and trinkets </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mismatched chairs with pillows at the kitchen table</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A table salvaged from a burn pile behind the Boys' home</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Eight feet long with half burned candles in the middle</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and unfinished business on one end;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taxes or building plans, mail, newspapers folded over</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to remind us to read something that struck the other</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A jar with fermenting cabbage and a bottle of tahini or some sauce or seasoning</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Spills for sure</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I roll out pie crust on the other end or plan dinner</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No curtains on the windows</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but green glass bottles and pottery shapes that love the fickle light of this valley</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A sofa big enough for a bunch of people</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with cushions that sink and don't mind spills</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There have been spills</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And the big old jade plants that have grown one from the other</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
refuse to die from neglect or shadows or front porch spiders when they are moved</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in warmer weather</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The painted, plastered, and wall papered walls </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
seem pleased to host the hodgepodge of paintings and drawings and photographs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
collected on whims, though sometimes there were voices with stories half told</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or rumored. I always remember where they came from.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We are collectors of tokens offered as we move through this life</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and we stack and store them </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They remind us that we have moved through places and times</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that have made us rich with memories</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and lives well lived</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The empty spaces are waiting </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
for what comes next<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-31446625993149069692015-02-12T18:53:00.002-08:002015-02-12T18:55:19.656-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewiK-mWOdffZZvaoQzqG3QUI89WQUjJWZmdR1IZtaP7UdxomW7swsRTPlQ4ct2Dw-q8vq-NSqni5Yy8q7zIfU6CGOJmbTb_upM12W-nRkwMk2thY7kObxhSij7lVXiR7PhSlz5LN0nP4/s1600/DSCF4616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewiK-mWOdffZZvaoQzqG3QUI89WQUjJWZmdR1IZtaP7UdxomW7swsRTPlQ4ct2Dw-q8vq-NSqni5Yy8q7zIfU6CGOJmbTb_upM12W-nRkwMk2thY7kObxhSij7lVXiR7PhSlz5LN0nP4/s1600/DSCF4616.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In Vain</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I keep thinking about painting portraits of what's real about</div>
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This changing face</div>
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Shifting flesh</div>
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Lines that form with each smile and worry and disapproval</div>
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around my eyes and mouth</div>
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The grey hairs that no longer sneak in but announce</div>
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the passage of time</div>
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I have never known what to do with my hair</div>
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and I won't pretend now</div>
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even years after my mother is gone</div>
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and no longer threatening to make appointments with women</div>
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with pastel hair piled high</div>
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who snip! snip! while they chit chat</div>
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many more inches that fall in delicate silent wisps</div>
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to the floor and my back</div>
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while I sit in a swivel chair facing a mirror</div>
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that tells me my shoulders have rounded</div>
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my neck is fleshy</div>
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and that cow lick will always make my hair part so that it looks </div>
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like my forehead is getting bigger on one side more than the other</div>
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and what used to be called freckles, now age spots,</div>
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have taken over </div>
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Each laugh and sorrow has settled into my skin</div>
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and I can feel them when I run my fingers across my face</div>
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pull and stretch the flesh</div>
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remember the stories it tells.</div>
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CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235570611970135121.post-2211537831741979952015-02-10T20:00:00.000-08:002015-02-10T20:08:04.978-08:00A Lament on This Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O1rhS17KqV31oaH74ASKirJq9BGfV9DIKJC0XxzDZdcl6I5mUhFIW2Vp2N3ZMjuDEpAhhFqW1DhGKz6dgszg1FnRu1oC1TF1Ho4c5YcFG-V3B-qG7YXOBgA9ouKwSQAikVBHojrj0yI/s1600/DSCF4562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O1rhS17KqV31oaH74ASKirJq9BGfV9DIKJC0XxzDZdcl6I5mUhFIW2Vp2N3ZMjuDEpAhhFqW1DhGKz6dgszg1FnRu1oC1TF1Ho4c5YcFG-V3B-qG7YXOBgA9ouKwSQAikVBHojrj0yI/s1600/DSCF4562.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am clear that what each moment holds is special,</div>
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singular, owing to nothing but the breath that surrounds it</div>
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Air that is light and changed with each season</div>
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The sky holds the stars</div>
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without effort</div>
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and the moon rises and winks from its inky place</div>
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certain that it belongs</div>
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on each horizon.</div>
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CarrieCDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464149158099103477noreply@blogger.com0