lilacs...

i want lilacs

in my life,

and you.

crap. crap. crap...

Is it good? Is it bad? Is it better?

It's life.

It doesn't really change.
Some days are better than others.

At times, it feels like slogging through swampland.
Sinking a bit while flailing against the thick, hanging
vines and sticky cobwebs that impede progress even
more than the mucky path alone.

And, while flailing furiously, keeping a (paranoid?) eye out for
nasty critters hunching in and behind what is thought
of as debris but is really quite natural for that environment.

So.

Does that mean I am out of my environment? Or, is my focus
on the immediate obstacles overriding any observation, and
possible enjoyment, of things outside my tunnel vision?

If I widen my view, do I stumble over the obvious or can I keep
all elements, near and far, in their correct perspective?

Is life a swampy jungle or a rolling ocean?
Or both?
If so, then do I not need to continue slogging but
also be prepared to ride the waves?

Wait a minute...

where the hell did I put my life preserver?

Don't expect much here...

for a while.

Blogger burn-out is raging.

Death after dying...

I genuflect
and wobble.
Incense stings my
throat.
Holy water splats
on her coffin.
Old voices, chanting,
float around me.
Dark, polished, hard wood
pews and walls.
Air is orange glow from
candles by the altar.
October cold, hiding
in the shade of the canopy
at the church cemetery, watching
Dad at the edge
of her grave.
Shoulders slumped. Looking down.
The last to leave her.
Three years later, December snow.
I hold his triangle-folded flag and
am the last to leave him
at the same cemetery.

I haz hatz...

at the Pondering....... store.

$18.00 each, free shipping.

thank you, Berry, for fixing the photo ♥

Happy Valentine's Day...

To see more of Berry's art, click the image or go here.

The Lovely Bones...

I started reading this book yesterday, put it down
for a bit, but ended up reading to 6:30 this morning
because I had to finish it. Captivating. Gripping.





The main character is 14 year old Susie Salmon who
was raped and murdered. The story is told in her voice
after she arrives in "her heaven".

I didn't know it was made into a movie until I looked
for a link at Amazon. The movie reviews there sound
disappointing but I'm willing to take a chance on it.

I will, absolutely, be reading the other books written
by Ms Sebold (Lucky, a memoir, and The Almost Moon,
wherein she kills her mother).

click on either photo above to go to the Amazon site.

I have about fifty pages to finish The Hobbit. ho-hum.
The Trilogies are sitting close by but the chances are
very good that they'll be getting dusty.

The next two books to be read will be A Town Like Alice (1950)
and On the Beach (1957) by Nevil Shute.


You can see my reading tastes are somewhat varied.
Let me know in comments what you might recommend.

Stormy weather haiku...

The ever-lovely and soon-to-be-snowed-in Sparrow at
All Atwitter has chosen:

**************** STORMY WEATHER ***************

as the topic for this week's Haiku Challenge.

Deadline for submitting entries is Wednesday (tonight) 10 pm.

Parenting chills...

Last week Joan linked to a telling at Jaded Haven
that gave me chills, even as a non-parent.
I made one attempt at step-parenting that might
be future blog fodder. I have nothing but respect for
those who chose that path.

And, I just noticed that Gia, one of the famous
Haiku Challengers at Sparrow's, was surprised with
a birthday party for her 5-0-th. Give good wishes.
She is a beautiful lady, mom, grandma and dispatcher.

Sexy, sexy...

New item at the Pondering....... store.

Supplier issues delayed delivery but, if
I receive your order by Tuesday, February 9,
you might still have it by February 13, in
time for Valentine's Day.

Then again, this is something that would be
appreciated any time by someone special in your life.

UPDATE: Tasty haiku...

UPDATE AGAIN: I won! Thanks to all who voted.

UPDATE: VOTE BEFORE 11 pm THURSDAY. please.

'Tis, again, time for the Haiku Challenge at Sparrow's.

Topic for this week is ************ FOOD *************

Contribute your portion by 10 pm tonight (Wednesday).

*****

Food, glorious food.
Sustenance not the same as
having all I want.

*****

Not an ounce to be
gained from food for thought. Enrich
the brain, not the butt.

oh, darn...

don't know you.
do know them.
you remind me of them.
too bad, since
I'm not at all
fond of them.

Slow rain...

Three days like this. slow rain.
blanket gray sky. still air.
dull light.
and slow rain.

you must look for it on purpose.
no announcing rumble or
flashing light blades. only slow rain.

slow rain does not fall in drops, it seems.
but a veil of wet that lays itself
silently, softly across the outside world then gathers
tiny pellets that roll, slide
and dangle off all edges

slipping to the ground below.
slow drip...slow drip...slow drip.

all day. through the night.
slow rain.