Farewell to May

June 3, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

A single yellow bloom. Last photo for May, 2020. Unedited. Bushboy’s challenge. Hope June brings some resolution.

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #98: no words

June 1, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

From my place of privilege, I sit and watch George Floyd beg for breath, call out for his mama, and know that I can never truly understand the plight of another, and that I, by virtue of my whiteness, am part of the problem. I have no words adequate enough to express what I am […]

To the Man-Boy Who Publicly Declares He Is Not Afraid of Death

May 31, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

And what will you feelwhen death,as you proclaim,passes you by Targetsa beloved aunt,an elderly neighbour,a nephew with asthma Will you pauseto ponder your partexpress regretfor misplaced pride Or preoccupiedwith your own rightssporting chest protruding blinderswill you deny accountability? “The president doesn’t wear a mask”you pronounce the words as gospeltoo young to recognize that choiceshave consequences, […]

It’s All About Nature

May 29, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge: It’s all about nature.

Delicately Opening

May 27, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

Closed signs turn cautiouslytrepidation persists –are openings wise at this time? Spring ignores man’s conflictsdelicately asserts her voicedelivers a message of renewal A reminder to all hearts to set aside worryopen anew to the wonders around us –all else will fall in place in its own time. (For A Photo A Week Challenge: opening; and […]

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #97: risk-reward

May 25, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Ric is taking advantage of warm weather and stripping the deck. I am inside, fighting an insomnia induced hangover, trying to complete tasks with two ranting dogs underfoot. They want to be outside; I want to be in bed. Ric just wants to get the job done. In the background, Andrew Cuomo is telling people […]

Stop the Spinning

May 24, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Call it circling, call it dancing, it’s all the same – I end up at the same point. Caught between the idealism of expectation and the harshness of reality. One has lofty goals, the other invites limitations. I once believed, not in circles, but in spirals – a continual movement marking progress. Now, with time […]

Art That Warms the Heart

May 22, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

What I miss most right now is sharing art time with my granddaughters. These creations are the work of seven-year-old Sloane. (For Cee’s On The Hunt For Joy: Let kids decorate.)

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #96: circling

May 18, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

I reach out to Mother only to discover she is missing; she has gone in search of me.The dream unsettles me. I capture the essence by writing it down, then set the words aside, not knowing where to begin. The sorrow lingers. I remember the moment I knew I’d been displaced in my mother’s life. […]

Weaving Bits and Pieces

May 17, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

Nuances of nostalgiajaggedsuccumbingcubesunsuspectingnourishmentmoving and openingI distractWe grappleunder constructionmeaning percolatesthis is lifethese bits and pieces of aresurrectiondragons and time machinesticket stubsscattered. Every week I challenge you with a focus, and every week you amaze. ‘Bits and pieces’ was the prompt this week, and the diverse responses, woven together, created this glimpse of life’s bits and pieces. […]

Dear Child

I know a little girl,whose hair in ringletsfalls, unkempt from lackof brushing; who standswhen she should be sitting;who laughs with defiance whenchallenged, her dark eyes gleamingwith mischief; who holds her chin uphigh and stamps her feet, arms foldedin protest when she does not get her way. I see that little girl,have watched her play,with a […]

Re-de-fine-d

Ask me how I’m doingand I’ll say “fine”, notbecause I’m actually fine,but because “fine” is the onlysocially acceptable response. If I said that I have been lyinghere, for three hours now,willing my body to move,that would elicit unsolicitedadvice and tarnish my “fine”. I’d berate myself for breakingmy promise not to moan,knowing that complainingprovokes a compulsive […]