not-quite Journaling, 26
Coffee is a ritual dance that seduces the senses—nose kissed by scent, ears serenaded by pouring song, tongue caressed and bathed by bittersweet heat, and the eyes… eyes feast on coffee’s alluring darkness, and on the sight of the perfect coffee cup.
When
gloom and chill fill
skies
and flesh and bones,
I rejoice
in all the warmth
a
sunny memory can hold.
And
they danced
(as the year ate
its own tail),
bathed
in ancient moonlit song
and
freshly crafted possibilities.
Now, I say goodbye
to 2021 with a prospective to-do list
for 2022
1. Out
of sight, out of mind isn’t a realistic treatment for OCD; it is time
for some ERP (even if just thinking about it makes
me want to peel off my skin and scrub my bones with bleach).
2. Create
recipes to help my stony gallbladder,
fatty liver, and crappy digestive system.
3. Write.
4. Submit
(at least) one short story and a few poems for publication.
5. Edit.
6.
The pile
of papers that keep moving around
the bedroom needs
sorting.
7.
Rewrite.
8.
Organize writing and picture files (without screaming too much at the
mess).
9.
Listen to music.
10. Take a moment (or 3) to seriously reconsider
returning to Facebook, eventually…
11. Attack the graphic novels pile.
12. Try some of Atlas Obscura’s hidden, and unusual things to do in the Bronx.
13. Dance more bachata, merengue, and reggaeton—because “it is
a truth universally acknowledged, that a wild woman in possession
of [(slightly inflamed) feet,
knees, and hips] must be in want of” some delight-filled
Latin American and Caribbean dancing.
I like this description of coffee and of the year eating its own tail. I think that's one of the best descriptions I've read yet for 2021.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am very glad you like it. Hope you have a very good 2022.
DeleteI hope 2022 is a great year for you, dear Magaly, and that you will achieve everything with great success on your To Do List! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debra! I join my hopes to yours.
DeleteAnd happy 2022, to you!
DeleteYour posts are always so beautiful and thought provoking. May 2022 bring you all the love, happiness, joy, and good heath there is.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I do enjoy your posts as well. They often make me hungry, too. 😁
DeleteSave some Bronx explorations for the next time I come up to visit you! I am trying to make self-care a priority in 2022, knowing that sometimes it might feel more like ERP and less like a bubble bath (maybe a bubble bath reward after doing the hard self-care?)
ReplyDeleteI've been feeding my pain words - the words that make up my prose and poetry and the everyday words shared with my family.
The way Omicron is behaving, I'm sure I'll save many explorations for when you visit, lol! A bubble bath sounds just like the thing...
DeleteI believe in feeding my pain with 'optimism' ~ and I hereby resolve to hit Instagram more frequently. Problem is it is on my son's iPad cause I stupidly decided years ago to discontinue using it. Facebook/Instagram will NOT let a body rejoin for some strange reason. So Woonielouise needs to pick up the iPad in Carl's room more frequently while he is at work.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about it, but I guess I do too! Optimism is very nutritious against pain's hunger.
DeleteReally? Facebook/Instagram would let you rejoin? Not even with a new email? That is so weird.
I will be severely disappointed to find out that YOU are not the very first thin on that list of Atlas Obscura's ... though I suspect you may not be "hidden" enough to fit their criteria CWS
ReplyDeleteWhat do I feed my pain? Hmmmmm.... apathy? If I don't give it the attention it seeks I can mostly get by ignoring it, but then I am a harsh mistress CWS XXX
(and so fabulous to see Shelle's Art. I recognised her immediately)
Bwahahaha! I might have to contact them to confirm or to set the record straight. 😁
DeleteWhen it comes to pain, I like doing things to quiet its screaming, but I never ignore it completely. Like one of my doctors say, "Ignore your pain, and it will make you pay attention when something explodes." He's quite the drama queen, perhaps that's the reason he's one of my favorites! 😁
I always get excited when I see Shelle's art and your, too. I miss our old blogging days. I miss them a lot.
All these pieces are beautiful and meaningful as always. Thank you for sharing your art with the world, it inspires me endlessly. I also like your "to-do" list a lot, especially with writing, rewriting, submitting your work for publication and dancing some more...YAY! I also wish you luck with OCD treatment.
ReplyDeleteYou mention considering Facebook again. I'd love to hear what you decide eventually, and why. Mainly because I'm at crossroads with my own social media engagement. That is, most of the people who buy my books are not on Instagram but Facebook. I've been testing Pinterest (as a visual searching tool) but I'm just lukewarm about it, even as I keep hearing it's another good marketing avenue for writers. Anyway, sooner or later I have to decide between Instagram and Pinterest, I'm certainly not doing both.
In all, this is to say, I also love reading your posts that are centred around your work as a writer. Wishing you the best in everything you do, this year and beyond! Much love <3
Maybe, we'll both do some writing, rewriting... and publication this year. If I start sending a manuscript out, then I'll probably go back to Facebook (for the same reasons you list). And since Facebook and Instagram are connected, well... I'll probably keep those two. But it will all depend on whether or not I'll need more surgery.
DeleteThank you for the wonderful wishes. And right back at you!
I love your poems! I am always looking forward to reading your writing! I hope your story collections become available again one day as I haven't got either of them!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura. And if I'm lucky--and my body behaves--there will be a couple of collections late this year or early next year. Fingers crossed!
DeleteYes, yes, yes I wanna dance! And that Mug is most excellent!
ReplyDeleteThen, we shall dance!
Delete