Friday, December 31, 2021

We Will Dance this Rotten World Better

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.


12/19/2021: There is a slight possibility that I’m tremendously excited about my new, tiny espresso cup. 🥰😁

 


12/26/2021: So, wanna dance?

 

When gloom and chill fill
skies and flesh and bones,
I rejoice in all the warmth
a sunny memory can hold.


12/28/2021: New York City is cloudy and expecting rain (thank goodness for sunny pics!).
 

12/29/2021: Two weeks ago, I shared a poem and a not-quite-journaling page that said “Pain is hungry / feed it wild art”, then I asked my Instagram friends, “What do you feed your pain?” I added some of their answers to the original piece (2nd picture). I enjoy the way you (and I) think (together). Speaking of which, what do you feed your pain?

 

And they danced
(as the year ate its own tail),
bathed in ancient moonlit song
and freshly
crafted possibilities.

12/30/2021: I shared this poem on Instagram and then asked, “So, wanna dance?” My beloved (and super talented) friend, Shelle, responded with this painting. Shelle hasn’t been painting all that much lately, so seeing this piece made me smile all the way to my witchy bones! 😁

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.

19 comments:

  1. 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.

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    1. Thank you! I am very glad you like it. Hope you have a very good 2022.

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  2. I 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!

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  3. Your posts are always so beautiful and thought provoking. May 2022 bring you all the love, happiness, joy, and good heath there is.

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    1. Thank you so much! I do enjoy your posts as well. They often make me hungry, too. 😁

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  4. Save 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?)

    I've been feeding my pain words - the words that make up my prose and poetry and the everyday words shared with my family.

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    1. 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...

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  5. I 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.

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    1. I hadn't thought about it, but I guess I do too! Optimism is very nutritious against pain's hunger.

      Really? Facebook/Instagram would let you rejoin? Not even with a new email? That is so weird.

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  6. 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
    What 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)

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    1. Bwahahaha! I might have to contact them to confirm or to set the record straight. 😁

      When 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.

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  7. 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.

    You 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

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    1. 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.

      Thank you for the wonderful wishes. And right back at you!

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  8. 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!

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    1. Thank 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!

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  9. Yes, yes, yes I wanna dance! And that Mug is most excellent!

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