poetry, prose, and photography
Evaluating
Are actions aligned with goals?
Deliberate change
Doing some personal evaluation right now. Clarifying my goals: what I want to do, what I want my life to mean. Hard, but necessary, especially when I put everything on the table: nothing sacred, all challenged. Ensuring only what is truly enriching remains.
This kind of work is hard. Rewarding, but hard. Hard to look at decisions and paths thinking “is it time to let this go”? But that’s the only way to keep moving forward.
Night is now ending
Though the sun has yet to show
Silence is breaking
Though early, it’s time to wake. Life’s demands, well, are demanding. There always something to do, a challenge to meet, life to live.
Taught risk avoidance
Always so vigorously
Hence why fear haunts me
Life’s complexities
Tranquility’s opposite
Argued with moonlight
Each piece beautiful
Each distinctly unique
Each one critical
Germs are in control
Obediently I sleep
Rest eluding me
Ah, fighting germs again. A slow lingering cough my main symptom, a long with my lack of energy.
It pains me
Envisioning my journals
Beloved words capturing my soul
Mouldering in my absence
As I fade to dust
Not a work of poetry, but poetic in it’s raw power. It also features evocative language.
āThe only thing that brings me any sense of meaning these days is to think of these fallen trees as nurse logs. Their memories, their lives, their children, their passions, their faces, their senses of humor, their wisdom, their spirits, their beautiful beautiful beautiful spirits are nurturing us, feeding us, giving us strength to go on, to demand change, to bring research to our friends, to fight against death death death so much death. Their falling leaves a hole in the forest canopy, but their souls are bringing new life to our movement and nutrients to keep us growing.
āAnd someday this forest will cover the world.ā
As someone who lost my mother to breast-cancer far too young (pretty much the same age as Beth), this piece hits me hard. Tears, memories, so very much brought up. And, you may find it strange to share this Christmastime, but I always remember that first Christmas after my mom died. Really, though, I see this as a powerful way to honor her.
Blessing to each of you this Christmas. Love well, love strong, love.
Lost within my thoughts
May the dark consume me now
Joys hidden from view
Cold meds bring me gifts
Drowsiness which slows me down
So hard to wake up
Carl Setzer: Word Shaper 