13: July Drive-by
1. Rhododendrons remind me of pink hostess snowballs.
2. I fell in love with the consonant in the middle of my three-letter TM mantra during meditation this morning.
3. My poems are like photographs, moments captured in time that never represent the whole of who I am or of the whole of the story.
4. Sometimes my poetry begins on its own, as a rhythmic and original line that I can use a springboard. Other times it’s like coming across a shiny coin that wants to be picked up and spent.
5. Now the light fades out / like the end of a life / and I’m sad even in summer / in bare feet with fireflies / that twinkle like stars / trying to jump their way / back to heaven… Read Lights Out in its entirety HERE.
6. “Eventually, we are made still–by tragedy or age or both. We have to sit and think and reflect, and we have to face our humanity.” -Marlon Brando
7. Tap and pat mean the same thing.
8. I didn’t feel like celebrating July 4th because of this: “It’s the 4th of July, a day for reflection on our freedoms. Our founders carried muskets, not assault weapons, and I don’t think a single one of them would have said that you have a constitutional right to an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine or that that is more important than the right of the people who attended this parade today to live.” -Illinois Governor Pritzker
9. And This: “A mass shooting to celebrate the 4th. A wealthy class that doubled its wealth while the country suffered. A Supreme Court that stripped 51% of our citizens of their reproductive rights while removing gun laws and killing the EPA.” Michael Moore
10. But I did watch the fireworks that I named Tangerine Dream, Purple Rain, The Burning Bush, After the Gold Dust and more because it’s all about the psychedelics. See HERE.
11. My corn may be taller than me, but I’m still taller than the scarecrow buried in the stalks and tassels. See HERE.
12. “Why is the place you drive on is a parkway, and the place you park on is the driveway?” Unknown
13. Ever since they chip-sealed / the Blue Ridge Parkway / I avoid the scenic route / I hear every car / like it’s breaking news / ready to expose / my isolation … Read Truancy in its entirety HERE.
______Thirteen Thursday
July 6th, 2022 5:52 pm
I didn’t feel much like celebrating either! That is why I worked on July 4th! I did attend a family cook out the day before and did get to see some very cool fireworks from The Runkles family !!
July 7th, 2022 1:04 pm
I agree, July 4 wasn’t worth celebrating this year. We watched fireworks on TV and went to bed.
Sometimes I think poems and ideas simply float through the air, waiting to land on the person who is open to them. You are one of those people.
July 7th, 2022 7:58 pm
Dream Tangerine kept my joint pains at bay. I always confused the name, calling it Tangerine Dream, which sounds like a popsicle. A musical popsicle.