Being

 

To know one’s being after

all the glorious mess of a day 

is to allow it to blossom

in the quiet of the evening.

“Inhale and hold the evening in your lungs.”

~ Sebastian Faulks, Engleby

There is a Purpose

Procrastination: 

“the act of delaying 

something that must be 

done often because it is 

unpleasant or boring” ~

Cambridge online dictionary

        ~~~~~~

Dust has been banished, 

soap scum put in it’s place ~ 

down the drain, 

mirrors polished, 

floors devoid of cat hair, ……

and all the while I wondered:

“What are you procrastinating about? 

You dislike finicky housework?”

Not the first time with the puzzle, 

but now I know. 

I know that problems need sorting. 

The sorting that arises from

 the act of ‘finicky cleaning’

You may laugh, 

you may guffaw, 

you may snort in disgust 

but I see my thoughts 

attached to the vacuum, 

the rag that scrubs grime, 

the folding of stray tablecloths

until I have an orderly list of to do’s.

Tax time is always confusing!

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, 

so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”

~ A.A.Milne

1 in 26

Epilepsy has been my friend for 60 years. Not so friendly in the first 10 years, but as I learned more about myself, this condition and the medications that I was taking I found strategies that were respectful of the effects of epilepsy. Being a loner, an introvert, I learned I am just someone who feels more comfortable in small groups. I learned to say no to many things, or always knew when it was time to get quiet. I have not tried to chase epilepsy out of my brain - not possible. I’ve read literature about surgical removal of epilepsy and found that it is more complex than just having surgery. Suffice it to say it’s not like fixing a broken arm or leg.

Today is Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness. I need to be aware of, and respect, the possibility of seizure activity every day. Now we are quite comfortable with each other. However I know that as the 60 years since diagnosis becomes 61 and onwards, who knows whether our comfort level will change. After all my joints have gotten fussier over the years, why not my brain? 

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’ possible; 

and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

~ Francis of Assisi

*Author’s note: 1 in 26 is the most recent statistic about the incidence of individuals with epilepsy.

Maybe Both

We are alive in

so many different ways 

whether walking down 

a snow covered sidewalk 

the trees still winter black 

lined with snow

or visiting with friends in 

a buzzing coffee shop telling 

each other tales of books, 

or recent events 

or the latest fashions. 

Passersby and neighbours 

live their lives while 

taking a walk along the frozen lake

or driving from here to there

There is no must be 

   or should be 

only what we each believe 

~ maybe a belief in 

stern, no smiling, 

one foot in front of the other, 

or it may be a belief 

    in the joy of being alive.

Maybe both?

“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate 

or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.”

~ Joanne Harris, Chocolat

This Narrow Moment

Late  

more words 

to spill 

onto the page 

fitting into 

this narrow moment 

bracketed by sleepy eyes.

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”

~ Homer,  The Odyssey

Listening to Music

Rhythm 

tap tapping of toes 

swaying 

embodying the music 

feeling the gentle dance 

envisioning the ride 

down a sun-drenched lane 

hearing the clip clop of 

a sleek brown horse 

stopping beneath a willow

graceful fronds caressing a lake. 

“People do dismiss ambient music, don’t they? They call it 

‘easy listening,’ as if to suggest that it should be hard to listen to.”

~ Brian Eno, musician

Author’s note: 

    inspired by an Easy Listening piece, 

    head back, eyes closed to the outside world.

Imperfect Reality

Slipping and sliding through 

imagined darkness, shadowed 

tendrils threaten to pull 

crumbled shards onto my life.

Stepping out of that 

imagined darkness 

to an imperfect reality 

lets me breathe easily.

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, 

the whole world belongs to you.”

~ Lao Tzu