Monadnock - Poetry Jam

Monadnock

Folks round here call it ‘my mountain’

There are hoards who climb it daily

Striding fast, counting steps

Conquering it by mid-morning

Planting their hands at summit

A touchstone  – ‘I was here’

Rising from the crouch they peer

Around the peak to claim the view

Plan their day as they trek back

Down to the world of cars and noise

Up top there’s the wind

Sometimes a smell of pines

When it rains, there are rivulets

They run along the fissures

Look like silk rippling down

The stone smells metallic

And musty from lichen

That’s when I like it best

That’s when Monadnock is washed

Clean of the hoard’s noise

I sometimes think of the Abenaki

Ancients who named this mountain

Women who picked its berries

Children who gathered her nuts

Hunters who crept over her ridges

Before that wolves who ranged

Up to see the moon and howl

Chase prey over rocky paths

Claiming ‘their mountain’ too

Gathering life from hidden caches

Monadnock sits solidly over me

Holding my place here

Anchoring me to this green swath

Showing me rainbows of color

Across the four seasons

Watching from across the meadow

As I turn daily to greet ‘my mountain’


... shared at Poetry Jam ...

Puzzling - Saturday Snapshot

If you're a cold weather hermit, like me, you get plenty of time to think while you putter away the winter days. This week, SB and I have been on individual pursuits. We were like toddlers that are at the same play group, but practice parallel play. SB stacked wood diligently in the kitchen wood catch. I took stock of the pantry cupboards and rearranged the various cans, jars, bags, and packets. A place for everything and everything in its place.

On another day, SB started one of his wintertime jigsaw puzzles. I sat across the room, cutting strips and squares for a new quilt - an Irish Chain variation that will either be a gift or a raffle quilt for our little church (haven't decided on that yet). Again, a place for everything and ... then, it occurred to me that while he was perfectly happy taking a pre-cut design and re-constructing it, I was happier taking wide swaths of colors that I like and turning them into my own design. I pondered that for a while and then thanked my lucky stars that I hooked myself up with someone who is happy to take life's social fabric as it is and make a successful go at negotiating it. I am too much the rebel and tend to go my own way, make my own comfortable routine, and damn the rest  of the world.

Like I said, quiet indoor time can lead one to thoughts and revelations that you'd probably never get around to exploring if you were running around crazy with the usual activity of life.

... shared at Saturday Snapshot ... thanks, Melinda for hosting!

Grey Clouds of Doubt

Grey Clouds of Doubt

I could walk ten miles

Even more

They would still be there

Threatening

Hanging there

Just waiting to rain

Itching to drop scratchy cats

Barking dogs and leaden buckets

Hailstones too

Yeah

Hail stones like to pound

The urge from my skull

Pound it hard

Make me quiet this truth

That threatens just as hard

Pushes just as insistently

Works its way upward

Heated by faith and need

Yup

A gush of uncensored feeling

Passion and frustration

Couched in creative energy

Roiling out like a geyser

Against the status quo

Grey blah clouds

Weighing me down

Weighing me down

Weighing

Me

Down

...shared with the writers at Poetry Jam ...

Poetry Jam - Sparks to Flame

Sparks to Flame

The morning cold is harsh today

It’s crept in over night and settled

A chill that is bone deep wraps me

Cold fingers bring match to kindling

Immediate warmth and glow reach

Touch cheeks, arms, flannel shirt

A first warm rush fans hair from face

I feed the flames, tent the sticks

Watch the fire take hold

A snap, a rustle, low clicking

First coals drop out and away

Make a warm bed of glowing ash

This is a moment of creation, yet

I contemplate the irony of destruction

Adding the first small logs carefully

I bask in the warmth that rushes out

Feel cold pushing back from behind

Take the time to mindwander

Old paths, small plans, or soft memories

Lists form, a day’s routine takes hold

Sparks and flames of thoughts that flicker

Then I stand, turn and face the day

Happy New Year to all the stalwart organizers of Poetry Jam!  May your year be full of warmth and fellowship and may the community of writers increase ! 

Take a look at others who have written on this week's theme of 'FIRE'.

Hit this Poetry Jam link.

Saturday Snapshot - God helg !

"God helg !"

Yes, it's been a good holiday season, as my little Swedish table runner says. This morning, though it is a cold finish to New Year 2014's first week.

To think that others farther north are experiencing temperatures even colder just blows my mind.  It was so chilly this morning in our house that my fingers were chilled by the time I'd done my morning routine of emptying the dishwasher and making coffee. When I poured the coffee into my mug and held it close with both hands, my fingertips felt that chilly burn that one normally feels after being outside in the cold for a time. What's wrong with this picture? I was standing in my kitchen! Brrrrr! And it felt like that thermometer was inside the kitchen instead of outside the sliding door! LOL!

Thankfully, there's plenty of wood stacked for the stove fires (in the kitchen wood catch and on the back porch) and I have no plans to go outside today. I plan to make a warm stew and bake some cookies for my husband. Keeping the stove and the oven going will throw a bit more heat and perhaps, by the end of the day, the house will be back up to a comfortable 68 degrees Farenheit ! 

Meanwhile, the dogs snooze in a sunny patch on the floor and I curl on the couch under a woolen blanket!

God helg! , which also means have a good weekend.

... shared with others at Saturday Snapshot .. check it out! ...

A 2014 Genre Project ... You're Invited Too

Reading for me has been a constant discovery of new and fascinating writers, but all too often, I forget to range across genres. It has been common for me to stick to just a few limited genres of fiction over the years. Back in my university days, I was assigned different genres, so I had to read titles that I might never pick up under normal circumstances. That was good for me, as a reader.

University days have long passed, though. In recent years, I have fallen down the rabbit hole of historical fiction far too often. That's not a bad thing! However, I have been evaluating my reading a lot over the past year and have consciously been trying to expand my reading horizons a bit. Last year, I did well. I read far more biography, memoir, mystery, and fantasy than I have ever read before. 

That's not enough for me though, and as I was casting about for some fun resolutions for this new year, I decided to try to read at least one choice from every recognized literary genre during 2014. This resolution, of course, lead me to a bit of research on literary genres ... and a list to guide my reading for 2014. The links for a couple websites are included for my (and your) reference, should they be needed during the year. 

Let me know if you choose to join me on this reading venture ... perhaps I can form up a monthly linky post that will let us see what others are reading and help us choose titles to read. I always find it fun to read others' reactions to books that they've finished. Also, if anyone reading this post has a good list of genre types that range across poetry, fiction, and non-fiction , send me a quick message or link. Thanks and happy reading!

Genre Links

Genres - An Overview

Genres of Literature.com

Wikipedia - Literary Genres

Happy New Year !

Snow Flakes in the Dark 

New Years resolutions come at you in such a flurry. Most years, I let them bluster about in my mind for for a few days prior to New Years Day - usually, very early in the morning while I'm languishing in bed and thinking about 'stuff'. What would I do to better myself, my situation in life, my mind, my health, my world ? Most times, they are completely plausible - I should lose weight (UGH), read more intellectually challenging books (laudable), eat less meat and glutens (pragmatic), dust and clean the house more (laughable) ... but really, they're the type of resolutions that are too high-minded, that I know I SHOULD keep to, but won't. Those are the resolutions of my Puritan inner voice, not the resolutions of my soul.

So this year, I'm going to try something new ... I'm looking for resolutions that I can stick with, that can be attained, that may be challenging, but can be fun to work at. This year is the year of the fun resolution ... the frivolous resolution, the useful resolution, the spiritually renewing resolution.

I resolve to read a book from each of the recognized literary genres.

I resolve to learn a bit about origami and make a few interesting pieces.
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I resolve to find five new cookie recipes worthy of filling the house cookie jar.

I resolve to visit a new city and explore it for a day or two or three.

I resolve to complete one piece of counted cross-stitch embroidery... and give it away.

I resolve to go to the beach once during each month of the year and photograph the visit.

I resolve to create a photo file of images that I can use to make a 2015 calendar.

I resolve to re-establish contact with a few old friends that have moved off and away over the years.

I resolve to write more poetry and children's stories.

I resolve to touch base on these resolutions at least three times during the year to see just how I'm doing.

So there it is ... my list of ten resolutions for the 2014 year. Now, let's get started, Susan ... I found this origami website that looks like it might actually help me start out with some fun!

First Attempts @ Origami

Wrapology Origami Tutorial

Penny for your thoughts ... any interesting resolutions on your front?