Poetry Friday...Saturday!

The word from Maggie at Mind Moss (see sidebar) was pink. That girl has some hot ideas about that colour! Mine are pretty tame! Three Pink Childhood Musings! Maybe you will relate to at least two of them.

pondering the pink passion of my past!

#1

my dog, floppy!

stuffed pink pug

pajama bag

my pink flowered flannel

zippered inside

black velvety mouth

plastic nose

lively amber eyes

red felt tongue

its tip torn off

long floppy ears

sleeping on my bed

on my pink blankie

on the pink bedspread

dotted with knobs

pink fluffy scatter mat

all in the pink painted

room of a little girl

caught up in the passion of pink -

how I loved that dog!

#2

double bubble

pink

one cent

line down the middle

to split in half with your friend

tiny comic inside every one

collected hundreds

flavourful favourite

lasted for hours

inside bubbles snapping

huge outside bubbles

popping all over your face

what pink fun!

#3

candy floss

pink spun sweetness

strands on a stick

puffed up high

like a teased beehive hairdo

by an amazing magical air machine

pulling off lengths with your fingers

grainy sugar

melting in your mouth

mmmmm...

pink passion!

Mother of Invention, revisiting my pink past!

For Pink Poetry Above These Pics!

Totem Poles

These are pictures of Haida Coastal Native Totem Poles taken in British Columbia, Western Canada.

I took the one on the right before the days of my digital camera so in fact, it is a picture of that picture! Because it was central to the reason I wrote the poem I wanted to share with you, I included it here.

The one on the left is a much better picture of what these totem poles really look like, all painted in bright primary colours.

Totem poles captivated me and it was easy for me to wonder about their stories and what they really represented. And as usual, the picture, once hanging on my wall, was just begging me to write a poem!

TRIBUTE BY THE SEA

Haida cedar tradition.

Carved, painted,

Majestic,

Proud and noble,

Head upon head,

Raven, Salmon, Thunderbird.

Totem pole erected, stark against the horizon.

Silent silhouette serenely looks out

Upon the sparkling waters of the Pacific,

Thick and sturdy,

Inner strength and vision of a chief,

Eyes fixed straight ahead

While ferries float to and fro beneath your stare.

Tourists stop, gaze up in awe, and take in the history,

Paying homage for one still moment

To the native feet who first walked this land,

Revered it, respected it, and honoured it,

Taking from it just enough - no more -

The spell is broken

And carefree, vacationing kids aim stones at the raven's eyes.

But you rise above them,

Look through them, past them,

Standing even taller now,

Stately, dignified presence,

At peace with the universe

And with the knowledge of who you are.

Mother of Invention, still in awe.

Now I Know My ABC's!

This is from kilroy_60 (see my sidebar) who wanted me to do an alphabet of my personality traits. I just had to do two and satisfy my lust for alliteration! The X was the most difficult of course..so I used poetic licence!

A - Affectionate and Accommodating
B - Bouncy and Bubbly
C - Caring and Cuddly
D - Dedicated and Divergent
E - Effervescent and Expressive
F - Full of Fun and Frolic
G - Goofy and Gregarious
H - Happy and Humourous
I - Incessant Inklings
J - Jumpy Jester
K - Kinetic and A Kidder
L - Laughing and Lively
M - Musically Musing
N - Never-ending Namer of Things!
O - Observant and Original
P - Poetic People Person
Q - Quick and Questioning
R - Reflective and Respondent
S - Significantly Sensitive
T - Tender and Tactile
U - Understanding and Unique
V - Very Verbal and Verbose!
W - Witty and Wondering
X - X-ray Vision With Emotions
Y - Youthful Yielder
Z - Zany and Zesty

Sure Sign of Fall

The Canada Geese are beginning to flock. They are practising flying in their famous V formation. I sigh as I watch their wonderful performance. What fascinates me is that they've been doing this for the past few weeks and will continue until "freeze up" which is not until the end of December here. Some will leave before and some after that.

So why do they start so early? Just to be "a get in my face" daily reminder that fall is here with winter to follow? Or do they really need that much practice?

When flying in a V, the lead goose reduces the wind resistance on the geese behind it, allowing them to use less energy in flight. This must mean that the lead bird has to be very strong to break the wind's resistance alone. The next two that follow are likely fairly strong as well, but the rest are just drafting. (Now I know why bikers get mad when others draft them in the important races, save energy, only to pull out, push it, and beat them in the end!)

While you watch Canada geese in flight, you notice their long necks and slow wing beats. Next, you will hear their trademark, deep musical honking sounds. It is surely a chorus in unison at this time of year!

Mother of Invention, listening the flocks flying overhead even as I type this!

Night Vision

night vision

as the full moon rises

I sit and watch its guiding light

in the crispness of the clear night sky

and marvel at its appearance

it is a beacon that finds me - steadies me

and the sharp lens of life

focuses me directly on my path

but then broken gray clouds

scud slowly across the silver form

partly obscuring it from my view

intermittent flashes under

black shapes rapidly running now

and suddenly it is gone -

my eyes are transfixed

in my constant search

for completeness

it too must long to be whole once more

my thoughts become unsettled

and I feel lost...

just when I think I shall never regain

sight of my mentor

the fury of the dark clouds passes

revealing the brightness

in its entirety

I stare at this lighthouse

the clarity of my vision returns

and my spirit is calm once again

Mother of Invention, always looking for a phase of The Guiding Light!

A Great Daily Message

I subscribe to this daily inspirational e-mail from www.whitebison.org. They come from various Native American elders. I find most them just good reminders for how we should all live in harmony with the world; nature and the people, as well as praying to whomever you believe The Creator is. They all stress that we have choices and need guidance to follow the right path. All of them end with a prayer to The Creator which relates to the message for the day. I like that they are so universal.


Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 18

"I walk in and out of many worlds."
--Joy Harjo, CREEK/CHEROKEE


In my mind are many dwellings. Each of the dwellings we create ourselves - the house of anger, the house of despair, the house of self pity, the house of indifference, the house of negative, the house of positive, the house of hope, the house of joy, the house of peace, the house of enthusiasm, the house of cooperation, the house of giving. Each of these houses we visit each day. We can stay in any house for as long as we want. We can leave these mental houses any time we wish. We create the dwelling, we stay in the dwelling, we leave the dwelling whenever we wish. We can create new rooms, new houses. Whenever we enter these dwellings, this becomes our world until we leave for another. What world will we live in today?


Creator, no one can determine which dwelling I choose to enter. No one has the power to do so, only me. Let me choose wisely today.



Mother of Invention

Morning On Janzen Lake

quiet dawn,
misted lake,still as glass,
mirroring the trees and cabins.
squirrels awakening,
beginning to chatter
at my arrival at the shore.
raven clearly announcing the day,
solitary man fishing,
silently gliding through the water in his canoe,
skimming the surface,
floating in his own space,
savouring his private feast for the soul,
emerging out of the cloud
as the sun is rising over the mountain,
magically lifting and erasing the lake fog.
loon flying overhead on gentle wings,
his forlorn call crying and echoing
off the sheer rock face cliff
rising above the water's edge,
capturing time eternal.
dawn's pristine moments
frozen in my mind.

One Last Kick at Summer?!

Today is a gift from the Gods of Summer! It is a gorgeous sunny day and will get up to 28 degrees Celsius! There are no really big colour changes in the leaves so we can easily be fooled into thinking it is still summer.

Everyone will be in full summer garb and outside biking, walking, skateboarding, rollerblading, and if they're lucky enough to have a pool, swimming.

It makes me think that I wish there was some sort of Quick Travel method that could transport us to our favourite summer places in 1 hour...or less! Oh, what I would give to spend just 24 hours at the log cabins, or my sister's cottage! (She is actually there right now, boating and beaching it!)

Luckily, I can be there in my mind and spirit.

Mother of Invention, seriously considering the virtues of astral projection!!

Tagged By Kilroy

Kilroy at Fear and Loathing: The Gonzo Papers tagged me on this. (See my sidebar) I'll not tag anyone since I don't know that many and they've all been tagged a lot lately. ...But you can tag yourself!

1. What time is it? 6:00 p.m.

2. What was the last thing you had to eat? rice cakes and a pear

3. What is your favorite television program? Grey's Anatomy

4. You can travel anywhere in the world; one destination per day from Friday through Monday. Where do you go? France, Scotland, Australia, Greece

5. Who is your favorite character from a cartoon or comic strip? Snoopy

6. What would you like for breakfast? pancakes and sausages and scrambled eggs, coffee!

7. Who is the first public figure that comes to mind that you think is attractive?
George Clooney

8. Who, outside of your family and "God", has had the greatest impact on your life? my old summer camp director

9. You retrieve a bottle floating in the water. What does the message say that you find inside? Your ship's finally come in! Come to this enchanted castle in Scotland for a reward! (there are directions through the forest ...and it's signed, Prince Charming...dated 1856! Rats! Was soooo close!

10. What movies do you select {limit of six} for a one-day film festival? The Graduate, Rainman, Gone With The Wind, Mrs. Doubtfire, Kramer vs Kramer, Watership Down,

11. Do you have a hobby? If so, what is it? If not, what do you think would be of interest to you? Singing with a group

12. Given the opportunity to travel back in time, when would your destination be?
Pioneer times such as in Little House

13. Vietnam gave us China Beach. M*A*S*H came from the Korean War. What will the name of the television series be that results from our current state of military affairs? Bumbled Battles!

14. What is the last book you read? As The Crow Flies

15. What five people do you MEET in Heaven? My 2 sets of grandparents and an old Aunt

16. What five people do you VISIT in Hell? Not going near that place! I'll forfeit my visitors' pass!

17. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you see the word pleasure? Sex and cuddling naked

18. Eliminating price and availability as considertions, what six things do you put on your list when you go grocery shopping? T-bone Steak, prime rib, cornish hens, black Forest cake, pistachios, cashew butter

19. What is your favorite non-blog related link? lyrics.com

20. What will the title of your life story be? Laughing and Singing All The Way!

21. What three people alive today would you like to have join you for dinner? Bruce Cockburn, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor

22. Which candle scent do you find most pleasing? vanilla

23. What question would you suggest I include the next time we play this game?

What would you be doing now if you weren't doing this?

Summer's Close.

With the kids all back to school and a definite crispness in the air, summer is gradually drawing to a close. Yes, it went down to down to 5 degrees Celsius last night and the days are numbered for sleeping in our summer bedroom. That is always a sad event for me because that is my most favourite room in our house.

This is an old-fashioned addition onto the back of a red brick house built in 1923. You have to walk through the regular bedroom and take one step down through a door to get to it, my "outer sanctum"! There is a cottage feel to it, decorated in French Country yellow, blue and white, with beautiful wide pine floors. It is totally windows all the way around with a door that opens onto a balcony big enough for two deck chairs and a small table. It seems like you are in a treehouse because our huge maple tree is right at eye level! For a small room, it is the most quaint and inviting room I've ever had!

In the heat of mid-summer, we have all the windows open and two fans going full speed. As the calendar flips over to August, we bring the fans down and start adjusting to the cooler night time temperatures by closing half the windows. (There are nine windows and each has two parts that can be opened and closed separately.) September is here and most of the windows are totally shut. The sheets have been changed to flannel...sigh.....

It is so hard to close up this room.......it represents the freedom and open spaces of summer we never want to relinquish. Both of us hang onto it like a dog with a t-bone until finally, we have to let go. The closing date is always Hallowe'en night! By then we have had a small heater out there for a few weeks. We snuggle into our cosy bed for the last hurrah of this special summer room and feel like two bears hunkering down in their dens to hibernate.
Distant dreams of a fabulous summer lull us to sleep.

Mother of Invention, thinking I'd better enjoy this room for the next few weeks!

Worth The Climb!

Sometimes we are overcome with seemingly insurmountable difficulties while trying to navigate our way through life.

It is an uphill battle all the way and it's a tough one. It takes great strength and some vigourous training to keep up with it all. Even when we get half way there, we pause to look around us and think, "How can I keep going to make it all the way?" Things can be hazy and issues clouded. But thankfully, our friends are right there with us to support us.

Finally, we arrive where we were going and it may not be exactly clear as a bell there, but definitely worth the climb! And you can always count on a new perspective from that vantage point.

(I took these pictures of my husband and his friend on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada last summer. Absolutely beautiful there!)


Mother of Invention, always climbing!

Tagged for Three Things!

Brought to you by, Old Lady at Eclectic Tales (see my sidebar)

Three people who make me laugh
1. my sister
2. my husband's friend
3. people on Air Farce (a Cdn comedy show)

Three things I can do
1. sing
2. write poetry
3. canoe

Three things I can't do
1. run
2. ski
3. drive at night and on busy highways

Three things I'm doing right now
1. drinking tea
2. listening to music (Susan Tedeski)
3. petting my cat!

Three things I want to do before I die
1. record another song on a cd
2. go on another trip with my husband
3. get some writing published

Three things I hate the most
1. people hurting other people
2. dishonesty and professing to be someone other than who you are
3. when having $$/power changes people

Three things that scare me
1. living or staying alone
2. having a (another) heart attack or stroke
3. spiders, bats and snakes

Three things I don't understand
1.Physics, and some other sciences
2. Emotional - biochemical illness like bi-polar, depression, OCD,
3. Child/spousal abuse

Three skills I'd like to learn
1. Skate-ski
2. swim better
3. play guitar/piano well

Three ways to describe my personality
1. keen sense of humour
2. light-hearted, lively and animated!
3. emotional depth and reflectiveness

Three things I think you should listen to
1. your first gut response/reaction
2. your heart
3. the people closest to, and in your heart

Three things you should never listen to
1. negative people
2. people who are under the influence of a lot of drugs or alcohol
3. Your cats when they want out at 2:00 a.m.!!

Three favourite foods
1. chocolate
2. egg salad sandwiches
3. BBQ ribs!

Three beverages I drink regularly
1. coffee
2. crystal light
3. diet pop

Three shows I watched as a kid
1. The Three Stooges
2. I Love Lucy
3. Flipper


Was fun! Three people I'd tag would be

1. Richard (Forbidden Planet) if Barbara hasn't already!
2. Diana (Piffle)
3. Bobealia (The Cat's Me Ass)

see sidebar for these...

The Falls In My Life

What is it about falling and moving water
that fascinates us?

Is it the power and infinite energy suggested by such motion and turbulence? The roaring, rushing sound that renders our voices mute? The rawness of nature? The sheer beauty and aesthetic appeal of water trickling or cascading over ancient rocks? I'm not sure why but they seem to draw us in close to stare in awe at their magnificence.

I see these same two falls every year and I still take pictures. It is as if I need to document any changes in the dynamics of these familiar constants in my life. Maybe they act as a stable frame of reference in which everything else fits.


Mother of Invention, wondering if you have a special place in which you visit some scenic falls.

The Luxury of An Old Attic

As I recently posted on purging the "stuff" in my attic, it reminded me of an old post and song I wrote about my attic. Barbara reminded me of it with one of her recent posts. Neat how that works, eh?

I am lucky to have a huge full height attic that takes up the entire 3rd floor of our old house, so I get to keep EVERYTHING I’ve ever had…AND I DO!! There are so many boxes up there that hold various sentimental things that I never quite have the heart to dispose of any of it. That’s not to say I don’t actually go up there with those good intentions. Many times have I made that trek up those steep stairs, music playing full blast, coffee in hand, ready to tackle "PROJECT PITCH"! But invariably, I sit for a few hours, lost in memories and once again enjoy my junk! I got to thinking of all the neat treasures up there and how several dated back to old flames not quite forgotten. I knew then that I had to re-capture the connection to my innocent girlhood in a poem that later turned itself into a song with a somewhat Country and Western flavour. The "You" in these words is used in a collective sense, (not that I have forgotten any of their names!!)

the attic of my mind

there are things that I have gathered
from the places that I’ve been
in the spaces that I give them
i remember what they mean
like rocks and shells and matchbooks
and whatever I could find
but some things are only treasured in the attic of my mind

old textbooks and some trophies
of younger days gone by
and that I’ve always kept them
I often wonder why
for time stands still in darkness
on the memories stored above
but no dust ever gathers on the souvenirs of love

the posters and the photos
and the record albums too
the coasters and the letters
all take me back to you
and in the box and carton
are the poems you penned and signed
but I can only keep you
in the attic of my mind

we hold on to what we best know
and the things we’d like to keep
now it’s time to let go
’cause the feelings run too deep
so now I’m undecided
and I don’t know what to do
but if logic were abided
I’d clear out and start anew



so maybe I’ll go up there
just to throw it all away
or maybe I might put it off
for yet another day
it won’t make any difference
when what is left behind
is the fact I only see you
in the attic of my mind
and I can only have you
in the attic of my mind

Mother of Invention

copyright 2004

Purging and Cleansing!

I'm doing the opposite of everyone else...I'm fall cleaning. Actually, I'm purging and cleansing! It feels great and is very cathartic for me.

As I'm not returning to school this year, I decided to downsize all my teaching materials both at home and at school. As anyone who knows a teacher can tell you, we hang on to an awful lot and can't bear to throw away anything we, or anyone else might possibly ever use! At one point, I had 24 boxes of files, books etc. in my attic....and you should see what's at school!

I decided to start at school last week. I coined the phrase, "pitching from the source" because I finally realized that it made no sense to cart it home and up to the attic where I would just have to cull it at some point anyway. Years of dust came sailing out from those old hall cupboards! I gave away 14 plastic tubs of books for kids to read, seasonal decorations, story tapes, bulletin board borders, binders, art supplies, resource books, and over twenty resource activity books teachers use to photocopy work.

The two new Gr. 2 teachers in our school were happy to stock their empty shelves with all this and not have to shell out the money. And I felt glad that I could pass them on as a legacy of the years I put them to good use in my classroom. After all, I remember someone doing that for me. Full circle, just as it should be.

I am now starting my attic and will be carting a few more loads over to the school soon. But this morning, as the teachers are calling out their class lists, I shall be relaxing in a cafe, with eight retirees, for the traditional first day back, "To Hell With The Bell Coffee"!


Mother of Invention, wishing everyone's year gets off to a great start, no matter what you're doing!

Goes With Post below!

I'm So Transparent!

I don't know why but I have a fascination for objects that are clear....you know, "see-through". This weekend, to my delight, I have "christened" two new things that are absolutely transparent.

For my morning coffee, I used a new clear glass mug that a friend gave me as a "just because" present. It has raised bees on the outside and are a reproduction of a very old design from a glass company. I felt so trendy! All the funky cafes have these and I love them! You can watch the cool patterns the cream makes as it swirls down into the java all creamy dreamy! What? You've never spent time observing this phenomena? Try it! It sure beats the take-out cups.

The other kick I had was using my clear plastic umbrella my mom gave me. (It's been raining all weekend!) I had one as a kid and spent many hours dawdling home from school in the rain, watching the water stream down the outside and then drip off bottom edge. It was also fun to see all the grey clouds or even better yet, see the flashes or forks of lightning, although that did increase my walking pace towards home on occasion! And sharing the fun under that umbrella with a friend was just the best.

Sometimes the simplest things things fascinate me the most, and on a dull day, I am so glad that they can be the mini highlights!

Mother of Invention, sipping coffee and gazing into that mug, umbrella folded up at the door.

School Looms!

Teachers across the province are adding the finishing touches to their classrooms as they get ready to welcome the kids back to school on Tuesday.
It is an enormous job; moving desks, painting shelves and cloakrooms, putting up attractive bulletin boards, photocopying work, printing name tags and sharpening pencils! It has been a tiring week. They are both excited and nervous.

Teachers of all ages are about to embark upon another year's journey in their career; 30 new faces and 30 new families. They will be a huge part of each student's life for the next 10 months. All will experience successes and failures, and each will be taken to heart.

What will unfold? What memories will they have etched in their minds forever come the end of next June? What will the students and teachers have learned from each other?

I could feel all this as I went in this past week to clean out my room, cupboards and desk for the teacher who is replacing me. For the first time in 29 years, I am not returning to school in the fall. It did feel a little strange not to be buzzing around organizing supplies for a class and asking, "Where the heck are the markers and the chart paper?!" But, at the same time, I felt a little relief.

During the upcoming year, I need to concentrate on my health issues and strive to improve them. Without the stress of school, I will be better able to do that. It was an extremely difficult decision for me to make because I love the kids, teachers, and everything about workng in such a dynamic setting each day.
But I shall volunteer as a helper, or lead sessions in reading, writing and music as much as I want. I am actually looking forward to the year ahead!

And to my colleagues and any other teachers out there, those rooms look sparkling and very welcoming! Thanks for all the effort you put into your job.
Break a leg on your first day back!

Mother of Invention, having a few sympathetic first day jitters myself!