The Reclusive Writer

April 11, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

Should you choose to visit, you’ll be received with old-fashioned charm – ours is a simple cottage: furniture well-worn, muted hues to warm you, and a kettle always brewing. Clutter attests to our relaxed lifestyle, welcoming you to kick back and relax. Weather permitting, we’ll sit out back, surrounded by a forest of mature trees […]

Dormant

February 7, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

There’s a restlessness in me that defies explanation. It’s not that I am bored – I have any number of creative projects on the go – it’s that I have a sense that I’m missing something, something that lies deep at my core. But what? And how do I access it? Something that is dormant […]

Making space for introspection

February 2, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Culling through old journals, and blog posts has me feeling introspective. Pausing and processing. I feel change tugging at my edges. Time to rethink the purpose of this blog. The camera has been tucked away until warmer weather and better health permits more exploring. In the meantime, I’m studying the art of drawing and playing […]

Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort: Review

December 4, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

Fellow blogger, Leslie Noyes (Praying for Eyebrowz) has a quirky style that often brings a smile, so I was curious when she published a book to know if I’d have the same response. I put Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort on my Amazon wish list and was excited when the 490 […]

Through The Looking Glass

June 4, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

Thank you to Indie Blu(e) Publishing for including my work in their latest anthology. Through the Looking Glass: Reflecting on Madness and Chaos Within gives voice to those otherwise silenced through stigma or marginalization. The anthology features stories, poem, and artwork. Through The Looking Glass is available through Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, and other major online book […]

Challenging Myself

May 31, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

I’ve been hitting walls. Physically, psychologically, and now emotionally. Through it all, I’ve kept pushing myself to carry on, but it’s not working. It’s time for change. Time to listen to my body, and slow down. Time to listen to my psyche and be gentler with myself. Time to stop fighting my emotions and allow […]

Black History Month People

February 3, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Don’t know about you, but I have so much to learn. “The time is always right to do what is right” MLK said. The rest is up to me.

Harrington

October 21, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Just before his surgery, Ric took me for a drive to “show me something”. We turned off the main route and travelled down a dirt road lined on either side by tall trees. “Should see it any moment,” he teased as I eagerly craned my neck for whatever “it” was. And then the tree line […]

The Mystery Cousin

September 30, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

The boy at the door was tall and slim, and although I had no idea who he was, he said: “You must be V.J.!” A whoosh of Mom’s skirt obliterated my response. She was hugging and kissing him and exclaiming: “Oh my! Can’t believe it is you!” Then my sisters were there, crowding our small […]

When the Unravelling Started

September 27, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

It was a neighbour girl that started it. We played together one day – a rare occurrence, as she seldom came outside. “How do you know you’re not adopted?” she hissed at me, as if to say: You don’t know everything. I started to answer, but then, the words got stuck. How did I know? […]

Is Progress This?

Is this progress,this decision to uproot,cast possessions aside,free ourselves of ties? Can his dependency,my dependency, endurethe transition, releasedfrom former justifications? We are companionsembarking on adventure,companions retiring pastlies, redefining possibility Or, is this more of the same,artfully camouflaged –a continuance of flightfrom tyrannical origins? The paths behind are jagged,wrought with rocks and crevicesand scarred riddles, and […]

Strategy

One more trainand she’d be awayfar enoughto lose him Scavenged in her bagsearching for a ticketand courage…could use a dose of courage Thought of her motherhow torn up she’d be;of her sister, confinedto long-term care Call for boarding and a decision –neck smarting fromlast confrontation He wielded his handslike weapons. his wordslike knives – her […]

Denouement

I fear the denouement –the moment of reckoningwhen the winding pathunravels; when intentions,transient at best, revealthemselves as common liesand soul crumples before lightrecognizing this is not the end. (Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @ Vjknutson. Image my own.)