(Poem 53 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
I am immersed in creativity daily
the way my dog is absorbed in the
smells of the morning leading him
on a one-track hunt for something
novel, and if all else fails, to discover
again the thing he found yesterday
that probably needs to be bothered
some more because when inspiration
strikes, one must follow the nose.
@Home Studio – 53rd poem of the year
(Poem 52 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
I do work that I feel confident doing.
It stretches me and can be a complicated
puzzle that feels unsolvable at times,
but I am fully cognizant of my abilities,
able to slow my pulse, take a deep breath,
and start at the very beginning because
Julie Andrews says that’s a very good
place to start, and she knows things.
Old dogs can learn new tricks, though
they might need some accommodations
to help them master the same skills.
Honestly, whomever thought to suggest
phrases like neutral face and thinking-face
when hovering above emojis not only
blessed those of us who struggle to
read faces, but those of us unaccustomed
to reading little circular yellow faces
as part of our regular workday because
we grew up with rotary phones, and
being able to metaphorically clutch my
pearls by clicking on a gasp emoji
might come in quite handy someday.
My grandmother worked in the tech
sector via telecommunications back
when switchboard operators used
call signs like Capital 5 instead of
area codes and you could call an
actual human to ask for the time of day.
She never imagined she would add
butterfly emojis as her call sign in messages
she would send to her great-great-
granddaughter someday, and I never
imagined I would be helping AI
improve her reasoning skills, but I
come from a long line of women who
know how to adapt, are not afraid of
exploring the unknown, and will learn
what we need to learn to take care of
this next generation of forward thinkers.
@Home Studio – 52nd poem of the year
(Poem 51 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
I am happy and in love with my partner.
Choosing to love is not easy when he
forgets to put his towel in the hamper,
leaves a greasy cast iron skillet on the stove,
lets the rain destroy my box of mementos,
or flings open the door startling me again.
Falling in love happens effortlessly when he
brags about me in front of his friends,
asks how he can support me as I grieve,
holds me close and lets me cry until I’m spent,
and makes time to play with our grandchildren.
Remembering to love is not simple when he
refuses to argue/walks away from my anger,
chews too loudly while leaving crumbs,
forgets what I’ve told him and blames me,
or acts irritated when asked to clean.
Being in love is a piece of cake when he
takes me to coffee shops to write and sip tea,
laughs unabashedly at TikToks with me,
says I’m smart and shows he values my ideas,
and is a good sport with my giant family.
I am happy and in love with my partner.
@Home Studio – 51st poem of the year
Runner ups for the AI hands (which AI really struggles with for some reason, so these are really funny) photos to accompany my poem:
(Poem 49 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
I feel comfortable in my own skin
and when I’m not, like when the sky
is inside me and I am surrounding the
sun and moon, or when the ocean is me
and the wind is my lover holding open the
door to a terrace overlooking the most beautiful
view of wrinkled valleys and snow-white mountains
freckled with the tiniest starry pinpoints of perfection.
@Home Studio – 49th poem of the year
(Poem 48 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
My Mema passed away this morning. I had the privilege of spending 50 years in her presence. I will miss her something fierce. She has a husband she was married to for over 70 years, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren, not to mention every other possible connection to people far and wide.
I lotioned your feet, then hands
with white jasmine-scented
Bath & Body Works Miriam gave me
and tucked you in the way you like,
brushed your hair and read you your texts,
then some Bible verses of comfort—
Isaiah 40, the first one that surfaced.
The steady sounds of the ICU create
a strangely soothing white noise as a
backdrop to your labored breaths.
Lydia is here again to hold your hand
just one more time; one of many
one more times over the last few days
because each time could be the last.
The you I know is no longer here,
but the shell remains and deserves
gentle petting and reassurance.
Goodness knows how many times
you had to ‘there, there’ me in the last
50 years, buoying my spirits and righting
my sails with your steady faith and calm.
Boaz sat vigil until I arrived, and your
children and husband will take over after
I leave — we are all branches of a grand
candelabra you have lit with exuberance,
spreading across states and time, thankful to
have been influenced by the life you lived
and the love which from your cup overflowed.
@ICU Room 1 St. David’s Round Rock Hospital & Home Studio – 48th poem of the year
(Poem 46 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
I live in a village
with supportive women
surrounding me
and I am loved.
A miniature donkey
greets me like
a doting dog
begging for treats,
and a chicken
follows me everywhere
I go because she
loves sitting in my
lap while I write.
As a child, I never
longed for this life;
it just happened
when I was busy
doing the business
of being my best
self and nurturing
the guests who
show up in need
of a crust of bread
and a cool glass of
water on their
journey home.
@Home Studio – 46th poem of the year
(Poem 43 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
I am at peace with myself and those I love.
No animosity hangs stale in the air,
nor anger brews and steeps in silence.
I have forgiven and released, at least for now,
resentments or regrets I may have nursed.
Prayers of blessing, for protection, of thanks
abound this morning as I start my day.
If I steer clear of them, this love I feel, so pure,
so genuine, might last until lunch time.
@Home Studio – 43rd poem of the year
Runner ups for the at peace with those I love photos to accompany my poem:
(Poem 36 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
“If titanic forces like gravity and the immense energies that fuel stars manage to coexist without destroying one another, then your own life will be upheld…you are a privileged child of the universe, entirely safe, entirely supported, entirely loved.” -Deepak Chopra’s The Way of the Wizard
Love is often a response to being loved,
as unconditional love happens most when
no conditions have been prescribed.
The only way to truly love another,
is to first love the self that feels unworthy.
The layers of fear that encrust the heart
must be chipped away by a feather touch.
A seeker seeks love like a fish looks for water,
unaware that it pervades and surrounds,
is, was, and will be source and sustenance.
@Home Studio – 36th poem of the year
Chopra, Deepak. The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want. New York, United States of America, Harmony Books, 1995, pp.57-63.
(Poem 22 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
This person so intrigued
the Crown Prince
that he nicknamed them
Drizzle in honor of his
favorite weather.
Friendship born of intellect,
shared sensibilities, and wit
creates the game board on
which all future maneuvers
rely, regardless of gender.
The game is set, the stones
properly aligned, the trash
talk spoken in earnest,
and thus begins the falling
in love one move at a time.
@Home Studio after watching the 1st 2 episodes of the Korean period drama Captivating the King – 22nd poem of the year
In the Joseon era in Korea, they played a board game called Baduk (Go) an abstract strategy game with pieces called stones. Mongwoo is the Korean word for drizzle and the nickname given to the opponent by the Crown Prince because it drizzles the first time they play against each other.
Captivating The King. Directed by Cho Nam-guk, performance by Jo Jung-suk, Shin Se-kyung, and Lee Shin-young, C-JeS Studios, 2024, Netflix, https://www.netflix.com/watch/81742990?trackId=255824129.
Runner ups for the AI drizzle photos to accompany my poem:
(Poem 12 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)
There once was a girl from Cedar Park
who dreamt of finding love with all her heart,
but no one around
wanted to be found,
so instead she focused on being smart.
@Home Studio – 12th poem of the year
Runner ups for the AI girl getting smart photos to accompany my poem:
rebekahjmarshall 