Skip to main content

In Gratitude for Bibliotek, Canines, and Solarpunk Glory

The New Year's Day sunrise reminds me: a year flew by
in which I was grateful — every time it starts,
driving into peach sunrises and sunsets,
marveling at engineering and human support systems,
ever hopeful of technological devices,
be there one glorious year of this or 10.

In between rain breaks and mizzle: I was grateful
for art-nature-dreams — always being outside,
gazing up into superlative trees,
buying the work clothes of everyday laborers,
ever calmed by cold medicine and ibuprofen,
be there one glorious day or 10.

When I went to The World of Wakanda: I met friends
zie was — "a lifelong advocate for social change,"
saying, "I'm grateful for those who make an effort."
voting in Utopian Acts of courage,
ever awed by the edible flowers of our imagination,
be there one glorious story or 10.

When I went to Wayward Vegan Cafe: we gorged
biscuits maximus on spices, pepper, salt — poutines of plants,
sleeping in a fit sunny day, glorious breath,
meeting with friends for games, grateful for luck,
ever warmed by leisure and bookshelves,
be there one day off with Sam or 10.

Always beside so many animals: I found my safe haven,
in which there were dogs, porgs — everyone at Pasado's,
taking them all home for sleepovers,
praising veterinarians and women's voices,
ever grateful for acts of hope and change, a glorious word,
be there one wise Ursula K. Le Guin or 10.

In a world of hummingbirds and nectar forests: I practice writing
where world-building exercises roll like marbles,
crafting a landscape of furry summers,
nurturing elements of memento mori,
ever inspired by earthly optimism, the divine spark,
be there one glorious life to be grateful for or 10.

This is one of my favorite thanksgiving traditions...taking all of the words/phrases I was grateful for from the past year of blogging and turning them into a poem.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts on "Depression Hates a Moving Target": What I Mean by Relatable

Relatable — I used this word in my reviews of Depression Hates a Moving Target   by Nita Sweeney on Goodreads and Amazon . It's a nice word, but overused of late. So, it feels lazy. What do I mean? I connected with this book. It made me reflect more on my own first marathon experience. It made me want to put on my running shoes and head out the door again. In fact, I did. Now, typically, my mental health doesn't hinder my ability to do the stuff I want to do and my body flies under the radar. Still, I also felt goofy stepping out in my running gear a lot of the time. I didn't see myself as a "runner" or an athlete. And, I had no idea if I could run 13 miles let alone 26.2 when I started. More to the point, could I stay moving for the 4+ hours straight it would take to complete the marathon? To do the training mileage, I knew I'd have to run through streets and trails on my own and that made me nervous, too. Waves of grief wash us to strange shores. Whe...

Springy Story Review: "Gestella" by Susan Palwick

Why it springs to mind: A hauntingly beautiful horror story about what happens when a woman relinquishes her power. A unique werewolf story with commentary on aging. Where read: First in Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology  ( 2015, PM Press edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer) and then in Palwick's collection The Fate of Mice ( 2007, Tachyon Publications ) — both outstanding! These presses won't steer you wrong. Summary: A young woman werewolf allows herself to be dominated by a lover who takes control of her fate. Memorable: The powerful ending! The word: sportfuck. A new take on lycanthropy. Written in second person — you. Quote:  "You know that your growing wisdom is the benefit of aging, the compensation for your wrinkles and your fading—although fading slowly as yet—beauty. You also know that Jonathan didn't marry you for wisdom."  Personal connection: Some of my favorite stories seem to be the ones that address t...

Springy story review: "State Change" by Ken Liu

Why it springs to mind:  You'll never look at an ice cube the same way again. Where read: In the 2014 Hugo award-winning Lightspeed Magazine , August. Length: 5,194 words Summary: A woman has an ice cube for a soul. Memorable: How the story invites us to think about the shape of our soul, how it (or our perception of it) influences us and how it changes. What ordinary every day object would your soul be? A silver spoon, a beech stick? A great party conversation starter, this. Quote:  “All life is an experiment." Notable:  The protagonist Rina is an avid reader (always a good choice). Pairs well with: T.S. Elliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay Origin:  The story was written in 24 hours based on a writing prompt. (See Author Spotlight: Ken Liu ) About the author: Ken Liu’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings , the first in a fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty, is due out from Saga Press ( a new Simon & Schuster imprint ) in 2015.