All posts by rebekahjmarshall

Poetry, Writing

War

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(Poem 130 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/0yYZ6p
AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/C9Llca

“Vengeance is mine,” sayeth Ceasar, until his
apemanity kicks in and he is able to be better
than human and allow mercy to unfold naturally.
Who gets to determine the value of a life on
this rock hurtling through space we call home?
Does intellect trump simple existence or one
form of communication imply worth over another?
Is birdsong less a language than human speech
or an elephant’s rumble less valid than words?
Someone I know once said their life would not
be affected by animals going extinct and it
made me sad because I believe the tiny pieces
of our humanity that perish with each species
we forget to save hasten our own souls’ decay.

@Home Studio (after watching War for the Planet of the Apes at Greg’s house with Greg and his family, Debbie, and Celinda on 5/18/24) – 130th poem of the year

Matt Reeves et al., War for the Planet of the Apes. Los Angeles, CA, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2017.

Runner ups for the War of Apes photos to accompany my poem:

Poetry, Writing

New York David

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(Poem 129 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

Selfie by David Marshall 5/8/24.

New York David is decisive.
He attends business meetings
and lunches with clients and
visits rose gardens simply to
see the sights as a tourist.
New York David stays in hotels
and spends evenings at bars
being someone’s wingman.
He’s an expert in a field I do
not fully understand the
particulars of, nor do I want
to invest the energy to
understand because life is
too short…all I know is that
New York David has planes to
catch and important matters
to settle and will be home
Thursday with his suitcase
and weariness ready to
turn back into Texas David who
lounges in pajamas at home
with his wife and dogs.

@Home Studio – 129th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Prescription Refills

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(Poem 128 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/mFTsj4

One, two, three…maybe four
prescriptions need to be filled
because I grow old and less
able to take pride in health
and vigor like I used to, as though
I somehow earned the youthful
ease with which my joints bent,
and my muscles contracted
instantly, and every sinew
responded to my whim with
instant graceful movement;
those people who complained
of aches and stiffness were
somehow at fault for their
functional inadequacies and
I did not recognize my future
reflection in their eyes because
that woman’s lined face was
contorted with pain.

@Greg’s house – 128th poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

Fall Guy

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(Poem 127 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://search.app.goo.gl/xryzdbP
AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://search.app.goo.gl/Q1G9rh1

Jump off a building,
hang out of a plane,
get shot from a cannon;
it sounds insane.
The unknown people
who pull the stunts
deserve to receive
the credit for once.
They make the actors
look like heroes for real
with dangerous magic
and feats surreal.
All the risk,
none of the fame,
light them on fire
to play the game.

@Home Studio (after watching The Fall Guy with David, Boaz, and Ariel at the theater) – 127th poem of the year

Leitch, David. The Fall Guy. 87 North Productions, 2024.

Poetry, Writing

The Writing Barn

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(Poem 126 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

Photograph I took from inside Buddha Hall at The Writing Barn on 5/5/24.

The oak trees stand guard,
keeping bothersome reality
at bay, ensuring sanctuary
for these tireless artists of
word and story, providing
respite from judgment long
enough for imagination to
begin the process of creative
unfolding, for that is the
only way the art is born
fresh and raw, unfiltered.
Yes, the work of shaping,
peeling, whittling away the
excess will be done to perfect
and sculpt the mass into
something more palatable,
but the first bloody moments of
pain and relief, joy and confusion,
brilliant bursts of kaleidoscopic
invention spilled out into the
universe deserve to be protected.
The oak trees understand
their assignment and take their
oaths very seriously, and for
their loyalty, I am grateful.

@The Writing Barn: Buddha Hall – 126th poem of the year

Photograph I took in Buddha Hall at The Writing Barn on 5/5/24.
Poetry, Writing

Dawn

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(Poem 125 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

https://images.app.goo.gl/6BLWxqvW9d4QE3KFA
https://images.app.goo.gl/ahg7Hp6fL6rBMCc68
https://images.app.goo.gl/hvy2xh6ogyFgLfrw6

There always seems to be someone who hates,
whose resentment fills their soul until nothing
else can fit and the surrounding world must pay.
Everyone who endures suffering must decide
whether to heal or hurt, a weighty choice, for it
affects the fate of your trajectory henceforward.
In matters of the heart, as in matters of state,
humanity should remain centered in our judgment,
and the resulting actions must be measured
carefully to create the least harm to all involved.  

@The Writing Barn: Buddha Hall (after watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at Greg’s house with Greg and his family, Debbie, Celinda, and David on 5/4/24) – 125th poem of the year

Reeves, Matt, et al. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 20th Century Fox, 2014.

Poetry, Writing

Rise

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(Poem 124 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

https://images.app.goo.gl/wJTsFk2Qgnv5pQiQ6
https://images.app.goo.gl/iVqjuik4pPKu2j639
https://images.app.goo.gl/ta3x13DZD917NHcZ9

Anyone who has ever parented a surly teen or
held a baby and felt their entire dependence as
your responsibility can relate to the poignant family
dynamic scenes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Caesar’s coming of age trauma hurts us mothers
and fathers because we watch our own babies
suffer the slings and arrows of this world unprotected.
No matter our desire to rescue them from the pain
of growth, the journey is theirs and theirs alone.
If only the world could be a softer place for our
children, but alas, we must limp along and support
each other, for “alone…weak. Together…strong.”

@The Writing Barn: Buddha Hall (after watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes at Greg’s house with Greg and his family, Debbie, Celinda, and David on 5/4/24) – 124th poem of the year

Rupert Wyatt, et al., Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Beverly Hills, CA, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2011.

Poetry, Writing

Mema Day

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(Poem 123 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

I took this photograph on Mema’s front porch 5/4/24.

My sister bought a box
of butterflies to release in
honor of Mema’s birthday.
We gathered, all five
generations of us, and
watched in awe as they
emerged from their sleepy
coldness to warm to the
overcast heat of a May day.
Each butterfly took its own
time exploring this new
brightness of air and space,
flitting from tiny human to
big human to ground to
metal rooftop and beyond.
The last Painted Lady
dilly-dallied and decided
to rest a while on a potted
plant on Mema’s porch.
None of us really knew
what to expect and were
pleasantly surprised at the
loveliness of the little
creatures Mema loved so.

@The Writing Barn: Buddha Hall (in honor of Mema’s birthday that was on May 2nd and the butterfly release that was on May 4th. She would have been 89.) – 123rd poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

I bought the Sceptre Curved 24-inch gaming monitor

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(Poem 122 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/lgsgVm

I bought the Sceptre Curved 24-inch gaming monitor1080p R1500 98% sRGB HDMI x2 VGA Buid-in speakers, VESA Wall Mount Machine Black (C248W-19204N Series) – the sound is not very good, but I like the visuals for the work I do, and it was $84.97 on Amazon. I bought the Hiearcool USB C Hub, USB C Multi-Port Adapter, 7in1 Dongle Compatible for MacBook Pro, Chromebooks, etc. for $18.84 on Amazon. It seems to be working fine. I also bought the Logitech MK295 Wireless Mouse & Keyboard Combo with SilentTouch Technology, full number pad, lag-free wireless, 90% less noise for $29.99 on Amazon. I like them well enough and must have a number pad on my keyboards, so I like this one. I also got a LORYERGO Laptop Stand for Desk to make more room and have a better angle on the Chromebook for $12.74 on Amazon. This one is wonderful. I think it is helping with neck pain, too. Lastly, I got a SUPERDANNY power strip surge protector with 22 AC outlets and 6 USB charging ports for $27.99 on Amazon. It is a bit of overkill, but I was sick of not having enough outlets for things. Oh, and for back comfort, I use my cat as a lumbar pillow. He is not for sale.

@Home Studio – 122nd poem of the year

Runner ups for the Tech and Cat photos to accompany my poem: