not-quite Journaling, 79
1/21/2025: Few things are as powerful as a smile that is also a promise, which blooms (or rips) out of the giver’s heart and carves itself gently (or sharply) inside the receiver’s skull. So, I always say to me (and to you too if you like): smile at the whole world, mean it with your whole self, allow them to see you and what you stand for, let them choose how your heart will affect their skulls.
1/29/2025: The not-so-Little Princess gifted me two LEGO sunflowers. I’ve waited to build them on a day when I needed an extra bit of sunshine. The last few days have been… dark (and painful). The time for building bright has come. This tiny jug, a thrift shop find, feels like the perfect home for my sunflower(ing) gift. When I first glimpsed it, I thought sun-kissed thoughts… Bright and happy! I thought. And like Laurell K. Hamilton writes, in Cerulean Sins, “You have to fight to carve little pieces of happiness out of your life, or the everyday emergencies will eat up everything.” So, I’m carving this bit of brightness for me.
2/7/2025: Doing my hardest to enjoy the bits of magic Nature provides. It’s either that or screaming until my throat is raw. How are you soothing all the screaming?
Don’t blame the times for your crumbling,
after you built your castles on sand.
2/14/2025: I was supposed to write about love today; and since truth is a kind of love, I guess I still am. I recently discovered that someone important to me voted for The Orange Infection. After they (and everyone with a brain and heart) realized what their decision meant for them and for people like me (neurodivergent, Afro-Caribbean, chronically ill…) the apologies began. Then the justifications, “Times are hard everywhere. It’s no one’s fault.” I find their refusal to take responsibility disgusting. Apologies are nice… but they don’t mean shit, when the world is on fire.
– for
Poets and Storytellers United (Friday Writings #164: Love Is Love)
I love your winter smiles - especially the parting photo of the tree and your accompanying poem - Jae
ReplyDeleteYep. They work. I'm smiling.
ReplyDeleteDespite the seeking of positivity, I feel unease throughout this post. Which I'm sure is not to be wondered at.
ReplyDeleteHow do I 'soothe all the screaming'? Well, I am here not there, which helps to some extent. (But still, the world is small these days.) I tell myself I don't have the bigger picture. I remind myself that to work on my own energy has an effect in the world. I recall the prophecies that great turmoil at this time will lead eventually to a new 'golden age' (and wonder if I can believe this, while knowing I am highly unlikely to find out in this lifetime). I remember to delight in what joy and beauty there is. I speak up for my values. I continue to treasure my friendships with some I believe to be misguided, because they are still kind and loving people in their lives and actions, and also – I'm glad to say – are not so blindly partial as to imagine anyone is even close to perfect. And I reflect that, being 85 now, although I am in no hurry to go, I may be fortunate to leave before the planet descends into greater horrors ... if I'm lucky.
I soothe the screaming by trying to write the truth, as much as I can...it's not pretty, not even welcome, mostly, but it is all I can do, given this broken world. But I agree we have to find and hoard little joys just to keep sane and that jug is certainly a spot of brightness...It would make me happy to turn to it.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have to make time for sunshine and sandwiches. The emergencies will happen whether we look or not.
ReplyDeleteAnd who in their right mind would vote for the Turd - after seeing what that did to the country the first time around??? Seeing nazis and fascists rise all around the world is such a surreal experience ... the guy said he'll probably vote for the green party locally (even though he hates them) just to help prevent the conservative candidate he hates even more, and that is the spirit we need. We can go back to fighting among civilized people once the threat has passed. Right now I am just glad that our federal vote will be in 9 days, that we we have the worst of the shouting behind us eventually.
Still working on my plan to become a bicycle librarian for the rebellion. ^^
I love every one of your photos, poems and journal entries today! Happy Valentines Day, Magaly!
ReplyDeleteThis week I've been soothing the screaming by spending quality time with my Queen Cat Serena. We have a Professional Bad Neighbor who's been spraying glyphosate in order to harm me. Somehow, because he's local, I didn't think that when he started babbling about throwing out poisoned meat for cats he might actually have meant that, too. All three resident cats have had similar symptoms. The one who reacted visibly to glyphosate is dead. The two who showed the Seralini Effect are very ill. I remind myself that a cat poisoner really deserves to suffer, in a mental institution with lots of drugs that have lots of side effects, and focus on giving Serena all the love, warmth, and human-quality meat that can provide comfort or relief. She might survive; I'm not letting myself hope.
ReplyDeleteI don't apologize for having voted FOR KENNEDY. For a glyphosate ban that will help a majority of all chronically ill people. I don't think he'll cut funding for other chronically ill people, either.
Bluest skies to you, and I liked the ice's creepy smile, too.
I'm not Anonymous, I'm Pris cilla King.
DeleteMagaly, at the risk of repeating myself [umpteen times] this post is one of your all time best! Thrift shopping is one of my favorite pastimes, I would have thumb wrestled you for this beauty. [note not an all body wrestle as that might have injured you and I can't have that.] trump said these words in his inaugural speech: "the "golden age of America begins right now" I listened .. cringing, trying not to scream at our television screen. Love is truth / truth is love.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures and poems.
ReplyDeleteThose Lego flowers are lovely aren't they ... they even make Bonsai trees in Lego too!
My good wishes.
All the best Jan
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/
Lovely words.
ReplyDeleteWe need to take care of where & how we build our castles :)